Fruit Salad
by Draguna Doragon
Summary: Kano and his sister Suzu, her two friends Yoko and Takara, all find after a wierd drive, they wake up in a new wolrd? acording to the police, they dont exist! but good old Tohru takes them under her wing and home with her for help. M for sex, many pairing
1. Chapter 1

_**Fruit salad.**_

_**Chapter one**_

"Come on! Ladies, Ladies _please_ just _pretend_ to try. Please?" Kano sighed and ran a hand through his short midnight black curtains, his parted fringe coming over his eyes. "One year of being a Student teacher, and _now_ I realise what a _pain_ I must have been for my teachers. And I was a _boy._" He groaned again, and opened his dark Magenta eyes to look at the whinging teenage girls that were blabbering a hundred and one excuses, some including a doctor's note from a _manicurist, _and a severe case of swoon-itus. Where Kano would have to _hold_ her to keep her on her feet. _I was never this horny at that age…actually._ He chuckled to himself as the girls continued to complain. _I was probably worse._ "Alright!" he raised his voice slightly. "Now, I want you gorgeous ladies-" He paused as they battered their eyes at him. "-to go once around the 800 meter track and then it will probably be the end of class…so!" he clapped his hands together enthusiastically, despite the instant groans. "Let's get going ladies." He blew his whistle, and they slowly slugged onto the field. Until there was only Kano, and two other girls.

The first wore a pair of big baggy brown combats with pockets all up the outside of the legs, and a big baggy cotton dark green jumper that was obviously at least 4 sizes too big for her. She wore her cinnamon blonde hair in a high pigtail, her fringe messily fighting a war to cover her eyes, and her Amber eyes bright and shining through.

The second he knew all too well, with her familiar midnight black hair, that ran wild and windswept, free down her back like a wave of shadows, her fringe also parted like his, her Magenta eyes slightly pinker than his, but her cream skin was the same. She wore hip hugging black jeans, tight fitting and tucked into shin high black flat material boots, a black shirt that had silver writing on it saying 'Stay back, I bite', tight to her ample chest, and covered only by a black leather, biker babe jacket, that was so short it stopped under her breasts. On it, was her favourite Snake insignia on the back, green scaled with red eyes and looking very vicious.

Like it's wearer.

And her red lips were curled into her famous, confident smirk.

"Hay Fukazawa Sensei." The boyishly dressed girl cocked her head to one side with her hands hidden by her large sleeves, looking cheerful. Yet _this _16 year old didn't flirt with him like the other girls did, she knew him too well for that.

"Good morning Yoko. And why aren't you running with the rest of them hmm?" Kano folded his arms over his dark navy tracksuit zip up jacket. His brow was raised playfully, a boyish grin along his defined jaw.

"Because _I_ told her not to." He returned to look at the darker haired girl, and smirked even more.

"Just because you're my sister, _doesn't_ mean that I'm going to cut you any slack. Now." He hooked his arm around her slim waist, and hugged her hip to his. "Are you going to be good? Or do I have to give you a detention?"

"You can't." she looked very smug for some reason, and Yoko sighed with amusement.

"And why is that?" he then frowned. "Oh Suzu, what did you do now?" he released her and folded his arms, trying to look like the responsible one. It was his duty as the older brother after all.

"I didn't _do_ anything." Suzu said defiantly, folding her arms and looking away from them both. Yoko by this time had her arms behind her back and was rocking on her heels, with a smile on her face. It was always fun to see these two start. _Well, I say start. but it is always Suzu that starts it._ She chuckled.

"Oh _really_."

"Yeah, really." Yoko coughed. "What! It wasn't my fault that the new teacher told me off for my dog collar." At this point she drew attention to her new necklace. It was bright blood red, like her lips, and had silver spiked studs around the middle in a circumference. "I have my independence to withhold and not turn into another drone of the masses. So when the new History teacher kicked up a fuss well…" she put her hands on her hips and raised her head high. Kano already knew what she had done. She had done this before. "I told him one four."

"More like you kicked your desk over, threw your book at him, screamed your female rights at him and threatened to shove your ruler up his a-"

"Astoundingly large nose." Suzu cut in quickly, not liking the look her brother was giving her. He looked a little…mad. "He deserved it. He said I looked like a slut!" she hissed. At that, his expression softened slightly.

"He did?"

"Yeah, a lady of the night, a hooker, a harlot!" he then looked to Yoko.

"Is that true?" Yoko gulped. She saw his big brother mode coming on.

"Well yes. But he is a student teacher like you but really old fashioned and as soon as he said it I was up on my feet and had a hand full of his pretty-boy blonde hair!" she seethed. Both girls had shouted at him now, both panting furiously.

"So you have detention with him." He pointed at Suzu, and then to Yoko. "And now you do to?"

"Yeah." Suzu grumbled, and scowled darkly. "Stupid arsewhole…"

"And you Yoko?" Kano had his arms folded, and was actually trying to hold his sides from slitting from the need to laugh!

"Yes, me too…never had detention before…"

"Well, you were _bound_ to get detention some time or another when you follow Suzu's lead. Isn't that right little sister?" he chuckled. Suzu however simply grunted and turned her back to him.

"Well, I'll have to do it I suppose."

"Alright, well I have to stay behind for an hour to mark the Sport's studies papers anyway, so I'll wait around and drive you home. How's that sound?"

"Thank you Fukazawa sensei." Yoko bowed, her cinnamon blonde hair falling forward over her left shoulder before looking up, and blowing her fringe out of her eyes with a smile. Her olive green jumper trailed over her hips, and half way down her thighs.

"Thanks Kano."

"That's Sensei to you in public, Suzu-chan."

"Yeah, yeah. What-ever." She stressed in a bored manor, and looked to Yoko. "Shall we run circles around the plastics now?"

"Sure, why not." Yoko shrugged, and the two girls ran off to soon catch up with the other girls of their year.

"I'll just tell Takara not to wait for you then shall I!" Kano shouted after them.

"Sure, thanks!"

"See you later!" they shouted, and were soon out of range to hear them.

"Right…" Kano sighed and walked down to the centre of the track, looking for a head of long golden hair. "Brown, blue, black, pink?…how many colours can you get!" Kano scratched his head. "Ah! Blonde! Takara!" he shouted and jogged in line with a girl with bright emerald eyes, a sort smile and gloriously long golden hair. It fanned out behind her, soft and shimmering in the light. Her hair was distinguishable, being naturally golden, and her trademark silk pink ribbon was tied around her neck, a golden pendant on the front. _How long has she had that necklace? I can't remember her without it._ He then shook his head, and returned his attention to the waiting girl. "Well Takara, it seems my dearest sister has roped Yoko along with her into one of her detentions. So don't wait for them at the bus stop after school today. You can just go straight home, I'm giving the girls a lift. I have to stay behind anyway. So don't worry about them, ok?" he said that, as a flicker of concern passed through her green orbs. "I mean it." He pointed to her playfully, jobbing with ease by her side. Takara was a very dainty thing, very unlike her other two friends Suzu and Yoko. Very tender and very shy. He could see why Yoko, and especially Suzu, felt the need to protect her so fiercely. (the fierce part mostly coming from Suzu).

Takara nodded, and Kano smiled contently. "Alright, well, say hello to Gertrude for me." He waved her off around the track as he pulled off into the centre again, to monitor his class more professionally. _Poor kid. It wasn't fair that the sate made her move to an orphanage after enrolment. Those folks at the home really loved and cared for her. There, it's like some sort of bad take on Matilda. I swear that Gertrude lady looks like Mrs Trunchball…_ he sighed, remembering dropping young Takara off once from school, only to be confronted with that large German woman with dirty blonde hair stick to her head in curls, beady little eyes and sour expression that made him look for something rotten under her nose… _horrid woman. No sense of humour. Poor girl…_ "Hay! No cutting corners!"

Tick.

Tick.

Tick.

That damn clock wouldn't go any faster, droning in her head like a person poking her temples insistently. _I hate fucking detentions, I hate fucking boredom, and I hate Mr Glee!"_ but there was nothing about the new History teacher to live up to his name.

Suzu drummed her scarlet fingernails over her desk, gritting her teeth and fuming to herself silently. At first it hadn't been so ad, having Yoko here with her to send paper messages to while that sop of a teacher trying to find the on button for his computer. But then he caught them (no, he caught _Yoko_), and sat her at the front, and Yoko right at the back. _Grrrr._

5 minutes left. _More like 5 hours! Move already!_ She screamed at the minute hand, gripping the edge of the table with both hands and looking squarely at it. Perhaps if she stared long and hard enough, sheer will power alone will make time go faster.

Yoko however, wasn't looking at the clock. Instead she was gazing out of the side window longingly. The sun was setting early, with the season, and the sky had erupted into a canvas of soft pinks blending into gentle oranges, with off white clouds fluffing in places to refract the light. Like the heavens had opened up, just to brighten up her afternoon.

As miserable it was.

Her face was turned to the left, her left hand holding her pad to the table and her right hand scribbling furiously with her art ink pen. That was a habit of hers she hated. If there was a pen and paper, she had to use it. Even if she drew abstract shapes of chewing gum on her sociology desk, she had to draw it. It was like a compulsion, and most of the time she didn't even realise she was doing it. Yoko didn't even look at the paper when she captured the sunset through the windows down in an ink sketch.

She sighed, and looked to the front, freezing when she saw what she was doing.

"Shit." Her right hand stopped its insistent scribbling, and she quickly shoved the pad into her satchel by her feet, as if afraid of being caught red handed with it. Another habit that went hand in hand with her drawing.

At last, the bell went and the only one to their feet quicker than Yoko, was Suzu.

"Come on! Let's get outta here before I go mondo loco!" Suzu hooked Yoko's arm and dragged her half backwards out of the classroom, completely ignoring Mr Glee. But he didn't ignore them.

"You will have detentions for the rest of the month!"

"Ah fuck!" Suzu spat through the door to know one, knowing she wouldn't be able to deny hearing him now. Yoko chuckled, wondering if she could get out of it for only being the accessory to the crime, when they stopped. "Takara? What are you doing here?" Suzu released her arm, and Yoko cocked her head to one side. sure enough, their not obedient friend was stood happily with her hands holding her bag in front of her, her long golden hair fanning down her back. She wore a white summer dress, with spaghetti straps over her shoulders, white socks and buckle shoes, and a yellow cardigan. There was also a yellow sash around her waist and tied to one side, but you couldn't see it very much with the cardigan closed. There was a neat little collar, with the first button undone solely to free her golden pendant, which hung innocently from a silk pink ribbon around her neck. Like a cat collar, and just as dainty as she was.

"I thought Kano said he was going to tell you we had detention and not to wait for us…at the bus stop…he did tell you didn't he?" Takara nodded with a bright smile.

"And you thought you would just stand in the hallway, and wait for us for how long? An hour? Haven't you missed you bus?" Suzu folded her arms and tapped her foot. "How exactly did you intend on getting home?" Takara opened her mouth. "No, no you are _not_ walking home. Not when it's getting dark and you'll be on your own. My brother will drive you home, with us. Damn you! You need to be a little more selfish, you know that?" Suzu grumbled and hooked both their arms. This was a habit of hers, to ensure she had control of just where they were all walking and all were at all times. One that both Yoko and Takara had grown accustom to a long time ago. "Being a little selfish is a good thing. Self preservation, and all that."

"Now that that's sorted, who is looking forward to tomorrow?"

"I sure as hell am. A night at the camping hut will be just what we need. Room to breath, room to relax."

"And room for you to drive your brother crazy by climbing walls, trees, mountains and vanish completely for hours on end." Yoko added slyly.

"Eh, it's good for his blood pressure." Suzu brushed it off, stressing her brother out on holidays being an unwritten rule for her. "And I sure as hell enjoy it too." She smirked. Camping was a family tradition for her. She has gone on random camping weekends with her brother since she could remember, and in more recent years, with her two best friends to. A tradition, that her friends both seemed to greatly enjoy.

"I've already packed." Yoko said proudly. "Just need to put in my tooth brush tonight, and I'm all set."

"And Binky." Suzu teased with a cruel smirk. "Is he still missing an eye?"

"Hay! Don't touch the Binky topic." But Suzu simply smirked. "I mean it."

"Fine, fine." She didn't lose her smirk though… "Stuffed toe rag."

"Oi! Back off! Binky is-"

"-I thought we weren't talking about Binky?"

"Bitch." Yoko sulked, walking arm in arm with a very satisfied grinning Suzu, who was also hooked onto Takara. Takara was simply smiling, listening to her two friends banter happily and contently. "And anyway, at least I don't sleep like a baby, literally!"

"Hay!" Suzu snarled. "Teasing you is fine. Teasing _me_, is not fine."

"Heh heh." Yoko grinned happily, and the three girls walked out of school, and to the car park.

Kano was already waiting for them in his big Mitsubishi Warrior, sleek, black, with silver hub caps and great bid eyes. Suzu liked to think the car was a personification of her brother. Stylish, sleek, silent and misleading, but has the potential to be dominating, and the instrument of darker deeds than taking three girls home after school.

"Now why am I not surprised? Wait for them did you?" Kano addressed the green eyed bombshell. Takara simply looked away innocently, but the smile on her lips said otherwise. "I thought you might."

"Then why didn't you stop her!" Suzu demanded. It was actually quite amusing seeing them together, Suzu and Kano. Kano was 24, a student teacher and an adult. Suzu was 17, a student and a teenager. And yet she spoke to him like _she_ was the older child. Even though Kano obviously had more maturity than her.

"Because nothing I would have done or said would have stopped her? You know how close you three all are. You all would have done the same." They all got into the car, Suzu with her arms folded below her breasts and automatically scowled as her reply, Yoko clambering up onto the backseat and then pulling Takara with her. The car was so high off the ground, it was hard just to get into the damn thing. But it was sure comfy once inside the nice car with nice leather seats. Kano pulled out of the car park, and smiled. "So. Nice detention?"

"Yeah, of course."

"Sarcasm, Suzu."

"Yeah, nice isn't it?" Kano sighed.

"So, with this new guy, Mr…?"

"Mr Glee. Sexist bastard. Said I should act my age and more of a young lady! The cheek!"

"Oh really. And he called you those names earlier too, did he?"

"Sure did, asshole." She spat, but not at her brother. "Hate that guy already. None of the other teachers mind what I wear. They all accept they can't force me into any sort of uniform. And he gave me and Yoko detentions for a month! Total rip!"

"I will see." Kano said, his face stern. Suzu saw this out of the corner of her eye, and smirked gleefully.

"What are you going to do?"

"Do? Me? Who said I was going to do anything?" but it was obvious from the smirk on his lips, which scarily looked like the one Suzu usually wears, and his darkened magenta eyes, he didn't _quite_ mean what he said. "But enough about that." He brightened up. "Are you all ready for our little excursion tomorrow?"

"Sure am. Packed everything but y toothbrush." Yoko beamed.

"And Binky?" when Kano asked that, Yoko growled.

"Grrr, leave Binky alone." She sank back and pouted, looking out of the window. "And what time will you be picking us up tomorrow anyway?"

"Let me see…what is Saturday traffic like in the morning? I haven't gone out at the weekend for such a long time." He sighed. "I must be getting old."

"Nah, just lost your old social life due to education, that's all." Suzu reassured, although nothing about that was reassuring. "And I think it is really bad the later we leave it. So we should go early. As possible."

"Nice try Suzu, you are really getting better at this."

"I try."

"Well, you did learn from the best. But you have a lot to learn about the art of being _discrete._"

"Humph." Suzu glared out of the window, both blondes chuckling silently in the back. This simply worsened Suzu's mood.

"Will you cheer up if I give in and pick everyone up first thing?" Kano slowed the car and parked outside a flower shop. _Damn. I hate seeing Suzu in a fowl mood. Why do I always have to feel bad when she is upset? _He smiled. _I spoil her too much. I can't help it. It's by baby sister, I love her._

"It's a start…"

"Good. Well, this is your stop Yoko. Say hi to your dad for me."

"Yeah…my dad." Kano looked into the back of the car with his sister Suzu, and even Takara looked with concern at Yoko. She noticed the sudden attention, and tore her nervous gaze from the car window. "I'll be outside at 5am. Don't be late." And without a word, she got out the car and hurried inside. "I hope he isn't made I'm late from school…"

"Alright, what was that about?" Kano didn't pull off, but looked seriously at Suzu. "I didn't like that one bit." Yoko and Takara had been Suzu's only friends through out her life. So she wasn't the only one who benefited from his brotherly instincts. And right now, those instincts were going haywire. "Well?"

"Her dad might not be all too happy with her leaving this weekend." Suzu coughed into her hand, and looked out the window for anywhere else to look other than her brother's eyes.

"But Yoko said her father said it was alright. She has been able to come before."

"And he never knew about it before either…" she winced, knowing what would be coming next.

"What!"

"SShhh!" Suzu begged, the car still parked outside the shop.

"Don't you shhh me!" he whispered despite his statement. "Are you telling me that all those other times I took Yoko from her house, her father had no idea where she was going, who with, or when she was coming home!"

"Well…"

"Why not!"

"Because he didn't, ok!" she retorted, never one to back down. Even if it was her brother, and it was difficult to keep anything from him.

"Suzu, if you don't tell me everything now, I am going right in there and ask the man himself." There was a few seconds of silence, where Suzu's defensive scowl didn't shift, and Kano glared, waiting.

Suzu jumped when a calm hand placed over her shoulder, and looked over into mature emerald eyes.

"Takara I can't…I promised her I wouldn't."

"Promised her what?" Kano took the keys out of the ignition, and waited. Suzu looked to Takara desperately for an alternative, but she shook her head at her. "Suzu?"

"Fucking hell! Alright already!" She growled, her arms thrown up in the air in frustration, and folded them over her chest angrily. She even sank into the chair and looked the other way sternly. "Her dad…wouldn't let her go if he knew. Ok? And she has done it loads of times. She wouldn't have a life if she didn't just go without her dad's knowing it. That is all I am going to tell you, so you can stop right there."

"Why wouldn't he let her come?"

"What part of stop right there don't you understand!"

"The part where you hold something very important from me. I will not be taking Yoko anywhere tomorrow unless-"

"Fine!" Suzu leaned forward, her elbows on her knees and rubbing her temples. "But I'm telling her you forced _Takara _to tell you." She smirked beside herself. "Deal?"

"Deal. Now come out with it." Kano turned in his seat. this was important, he could sense it.

"Oh God. she will never forgive for this…" she sighed, and turned to look at her brother, her elbows hanging off her knees now. "Her dad wouldn't let her go, because he is a bastard. He would use it as an excuse to…" she stuck her tongue into her cheek and looked down.

"To what?"

"Her dad is a fucker, pure and simple." She growled to herself, finding this so hard. "I told her to let us help her, but she won't! She won't just, damn it!" Kano was getting more than worried now. "I'm gonna put it this way. Remember last year when in PE, you saw that bruise on her back in the changing rooms? The long one from her shoulder to her other hip?"

"The one she got when she fell over on the lat camping weekend we went on."

"…she got that after she came home." Kano blinked once, and looked to Takara, mouth open slightly. Realisation hit home full force as he watched her sorrowful emerald eyes cast downwards in shame. "He's been doing it for years. All the injuries she told us she got from being clumsy, or from fighting…was-"

"Lock the door and don't open it until you see me."

"Kano!" He shoved his keys back into the ignition, and opened the door forcefully. "Are you gonna-"

"Bet your ass I am." He slammed the door and stormed over to the house. Suzu was constantly violent. She was an explosive person.

But her brother?

He was a implosive person.

So when _he_ exploded?

Think, a chunk of potassium the size of your head thrown into a lake.

Then you have the after ripples of his true vengeful rage. Not even close.

"All right!" Suzu cheered, locking the doors and looking to a very worried Takara. "Don't you worry Takara. Kano will be out of here with Yoko, safe and sound in no time. I remember seeing him mad at dad and-" she stopped herself. "Well, he will be fine." He reassured, looking towards the flower shop with gleaming eyes. It was about time that arsehole got what was coming to him, that piece of scum Suzu wanted to set alit and pour paraffin over until his skin bubbled off with the heat. He was evil. The bad man.

_flash back_

"_Hay Suzu, Takara."_

"_Where have you been? We've been waiting here for like an hour."_

"_Sorry, I got…tied up." _Yoko, only 14, her hair back in two messy bunches that looked like they _used_ to be two neat pig tails, red faced, her favourite baggy olive green jumper covering her…except a rather angry red shoulder… upon closer inspection, it was _obvious_ her bottom lip was bleeding slightly, and her teeth were a off white pink… she quickly noticed the very observant green eyed Takara looking at her injuries, and shrugged her baggy jumper over her exposed shoulder and licked at her teeth thoroughly. _"Heh heh."_ She chuckled weakly, as they walked into the cinema. When it came to paying, she lifted up her wallet, her sleeve falling down to her elbow…

…and revealing lividly swollen wrists.

"_What the fuck!"_ Suzu angrily grabbed her forearms and waved the repulsive burn marks before her own face.

"_I, I slipped. I-"_

"_Don't try that shit with us. Not us Yoko. Try it on with teachers and strangers, but not us."_ Yoko was dragged by her two friends to one side, and Suzu held her for Takara to examine. She then looked to Suzu, and put her wrists together. _"You were tied up literally, weren't you!"_ she stated, not asked.

"_It isn't what you think-"_

"_I sure as hell hope to fucking god it isn't what I think it is! Because I think this is abuse. And if it is physical abuse, then I want the know the fucker's name, address, and I mean now!"_

"_No, no it's not like that. I fell, really I did."_

"_Right, of course, you fell. You fell on your wrists into a waiting rope and busted your lip and shoulder. Let me see that."_

"_No, no please don't."_

"_Then tell me the truth and not this bullshit!"_

"_I did it, I did it!"_

"_Bull shit!"_

"_I did!"_ Yoko was crying in streams of tears, holding onto Suzu's shoulders, sobbing her pleas. It seemed she was begging, not confessing. _"It was my fault. It was my fault…"_

"_Yoko?"_

"_It is all my fault. It has always been my fault. A beast like me deserves worse."_ She fell to her knees, and Takara fell down to hold her close to her chest. _"I'm a monster. I did it, it's all my fault."_ She just repeated that over and over again in painful sobs.

"_Who did this to you Yoko? Tell me, please."_ Suzu said a lot softer. It made Yoko look up with sad amber eyes, and hiccup a sob.

"_The bad man."_

_Present time._

Suzu remembered trying to march over to the flower shop, where Yoko and her 'father' lived, to punch his lights out. But Yoko begged her not to, and she knew no matter how angry she was, she was only just 15. What could a 15 year old do against a full grown man? With no one to back her up? Yoko was in a state, the victim here, and Takara didn't have an offensive bone in her body. And what made it worse, is that Yoko made Suzu swear she wouldn't tell anyone. Her father was all she had left of a family, all she had. She couldn't put him through such pain, she said. He deserves better, she said. _He deserves having the flesh torn from his body, slowly, with lots of salt flicked at him, more like!_ Suzu watched, her cold face betraying nothing of the inner turmoil she felt towards her brother's and her friend's safety.

Kano burst inside, throwing the doors open and darting his eyes around the shop front for anything, anything at all.

He heard a whimper, and ran towards it. He jumped clean over the shop counter and into the back.

There, curled up in a corner in all her misery, was a crying dishevelled Yoko. Her eyes were red and puffy from crying, and her hair had fallen messily from her high pony tail and frame her sad face.

"…wha…what are you…"

"Where is he?" Kano spat, blood already making its coppery scent present in his nostrils. He could smell it, and he wanted to spill it from the bastard that hurt Yoko. She was like his sister. He treated Suzu, Yoko and Takara like his sisters, and always has.

And when you hurt Kano's family…

Well, just ask _his_ father.

"Who?" Yoko was still half dazed, no fully realising why Kano was here or why he would be upset. She slowly got to her feet, brushing herself off like nothing had happened. She took a deep breath, ready to move on.

But he wasn't.

"Your fucktard of a father! That's who!" he yelled, hoping the said bastard would emerge for a good pulverising. Adrenaline coursed with his blood, letting him know he was more than capable of that now.

"I don't know what you mean. He just left, to the local shop for some more…drink. Out the back door."

"How long will he be?"

"I don't know, not long. If you want some flowers I'm sure I could-"

"You said you already packed, yes?"

"…yeah. But-"

"Get your bag." He snapped, but she didn't move. "Now!" he roared at her, making her shiver back from him. She had never seen him like this, his dark magenta eyes were so narrow, almost like slits, and his jaw was clenched tightly. And there was a vein she had never seen before, on the left side of his neck, pulsating furiously. It scared her.

Yoko sprang into action, as if on auto pilot. She ran up the back stairs to her room, grabbed her small suitcase from under her bed, and hurried down the stairs again.

Only when she stood with him in the shop front, did she realise what he had said, and what he had done.

He had come in, furious to see her upset, and accused her father like knew everything. He had gotten her to get her bag when he learned her dad had nipped out…

"Are you taking me away Kano?" she whimpered quietly, looking up into his dark eyes, looking ever so vulnerable. He softened upon looking at her, and scooped her up into his arms. He wobbled at first, having to hold her _and_ her suit case, but he managed.

"Far away from here Yoko, where that chikushoume can't touch you, ever again." He swore, carrying her outside of the shop and hurrying towards the car. As he approached, Suzu unlocked the doors. Takara opened the back door and yanked Yoko and her suitcase in with her, locking the door behind her. Kano jumped inside, locked the door, turned the ignition key, and sped off like a mad man.

The adrenaline was still coursing through him, giving him a threatening scowl as he drove. The words 'road rage' flashed briefly across Suzu's mind, before she place a hand on her brother's shoulder. The silent message was passed, he nodded, and knew that was her way of saying thank you. Suzu then climbed awkwardly into the back of the car with Takara and joined her in hugging Yoko, who seemed in a trance. Takara was weeping happily to have her friend safe at last, and Suzu just silently hugged her, being strong for them both. She never did cry.

They drove all the way to the orphanage, before Yoko said anything.

She then started shaking, slightly at first, and then all out trembling with fear. "Oh my god, what, why, how did you, what just happened?" she panicked, looking between them all frantically.

"You're safe now. You're with all the family you will ever need. And _we_ love you." That was the most tender thing Suzu had ever said. It touched Yoko so much, she started to cry even harder against them both. Takara sobbed, whishing she could just say something to reassure Yoko. Just a, you'll be alright, or a, we love you. But no, she couldn't. All she could do is hold her and rub her back to calm her.

_I can also have a look at her injuries and start to finally treat them. Surely she will not prevent me now that it is all out in the open._

"…I haven't got my toothbrush." Kano was still fuming. _Kano, you are taking this too personally._ He told himself.

"I'll buy you another one." _But I have every right to be livid. I know just how she feels…_ "A better one. One you can rely on." _Isn't that what we all need? Something we can rely on?_ In secret, that's why Kano tries to be the best big brother he can be, to give Suzu someone she can really rely on. _Like I never had._ "Go get your stuff Takara. We are leaving tonight." Reluctantly, Takara released Yoko, who was only whimpering softly now, and made her way into the orphanage. 15 minutes later, she emerged with a small suitcase, even smaller than Yoko's, and returned swiftly to her friend. "Home, our things, then we are leaving."

"Straight away?"

"Straight away." He answered bluntly, some of his rage had dissipated by this point, and he carefully pulled out from the orphanage, hearing not so nice language in German along the lines of 'du mist!' and 'verruckt', from the head of the orphanage. "I never liked that Mrs Gertrude. What _is_ her last name?" he asked no one, no one was listening anyway, and they drove silently to Kano's house.

Suzu had lived with her brother for the last 6 years in his flat. Having to live at the orphanage for a spell with Takara while she was younger. Kano wanted to try and adopt Takara somehow too, but he wasn't financially able to support them both, and so found unfit to do so. Only now in recent months would he be aloud, and had been toying with the idea.

If he could have it his way, he would buy a house where all four of them could live, and quite happily act the big brother/father to all of them. He loved them all that much.

By the time they got back to Kano's flat, he had clamed down completely and was just stressed, not angry anymore.

He had kidnapped Yoko, taken Takara out of the orphanage with the intention of not returning her for a while either, another kidnapping, and he had taken his sister along for the ride to boot. _All in a day's work._ He chuckled weakly, and raided the fridge for a beer. He downed one bottle of Stella Artois, and pulled out another before quickly going to his room. He ignored the girls sat on his couch, packing the rest of his bag.

"So…" Suzu didn't know what to say. "How come you all have small suit cases? Mine is proper HUGE! And my clothes are _so_ smaller than yours." She chuckled…but died off. Takara was still looking solely at Yoko, and she was staring at the floor. "Listen, don't worry about him anymore. I told you one day I'd see you safe. Now I'm looking at you." She held her cheek and Yoko finally looked her in her eyes. Amber on light magenta. "And you are safe."

"He will come after me. He'll punish you for stealing me."

"Let the fucker try." It was Kano again. He threw his suitcase into the room, and downed another beer. "Suzu, get your bag."

"Right." Suzu knew her brother. He wasn't angry anymore, he was panicking, like the rest of them. He was just acting in control so he didn't worry anyone anymore than they already were. "I'll be right back. And I don't want you to think about him anymore, or I'll have a serious strop with you, ok?" Yoko hiccupped a chuckle, and turned into Takara's embrace.

"(Hiccup) ok…" _safe…I like the sound of that._

Suzu shortly returned dragging a large suitcase like a dead boy behind her, huffing and cursing along the way. She jumped when a second pair of hands held onto the handle with her, and saw amber eyes. "Ok. Together?" There was a question in that, and it wasn't referring to the bag.

"Yeah, all the way. Always."

"Ok." Yoko took a deep steadying breath. "One, two, heave!" both girls pulled at the bag, moved it, but them comically fell back on the floor.

"HA!" Suzu started laughing loudly on the floor, and slowly but surly, Yoko chuckled too.

The sight of those two chuckling and barking with laughter brought a thankful smile to Kano's face, and a grateful one to Takara's. She shuffled off the couch, and knelt with them. beaming a happy smile, even with tears still glistening in her eyes. "You nut! Get offa me!" she larked, pushing Yoko up.

"Who are you trying to kid?" Yoko chuckled, needing that laugh so much. "You were on me!"

"Oh really? I have a knuckle sandwich that says otherwise."

"Bright it!" both girls launched to start scrapping playfully, when Kano hooked round both their waists and hoisted them up.

"Not now you two." He chuckled. Just so happy everything wasn't as bad as he thought. Yes, the situation was still very, very serious, but it didn't look like Yoko was angry with them for interfering, like he feared. She actually looked happier. "Bags in the truck, or we won't make it to the camp site before dark."

"Yeah yeah, you ruin all my fun." Suzu huffed, and then smirked. "I can't lift my suitcase. So guess who will have to carry it for me?"

"Me, I suppose." He sighed, rolling his eyes and with smile. "And I suppose you find that quite amusing too."

"Yep." Suzu slipped her long mane of midnight hair and readjusted her spiky red dog collar. "So, I don't know about you, but I'm ready to leave. How about you two?"

"Yeah, far away, right?" Yoko directed at Kano.

"Far away." _Further than the camp site. It isn't safe there, everyone knows we go there. _"Just need to fill the car with fuel and we are home free." He wore a smile for them all, not feeling it at all himself.

Takara caught his eyes knowingly, and he wondered if she knew what he was up to. She nodded, and then turned to smile at her younger friends. _You do know, don't you?_ At least he seemed to have her support with his decision. Kano sighed, and heaved Suzu's suitcase up onto his shoulder. "JEEEZ! What do you pack in this thing? The Tv? The microwave! The kitchen sink? Your entire room!"

"Just the bare essentials." She shrugged with a grin, and hooked her friends arms again. "Alright, freedom ahoy!"

"At last." Yoko whispered to herself, but Takara heard her. The only one who couldn't say anything.

"You three go ahead. I need some time to maneuver this thing out of the door." He huffed again, wondering if his dear little sister had a few anvils stored in there, as they finally departed.

Tension in the car had resumed over the last hour or so. And not just from Yoko, but all of them. Kano drove normally in silence, looking straight ahead. Suzu sat with the other two girls in the back, in the middle seat this time, eyes closed and her arms folded. Although she wasn't _actually_ asleep.

Yoko stared out of the window, counting all the passing flashes of street lamps. So far she was into the thousands.

And Takara who was most used to silence, wished one of them would speak. _What time is it?_ She looked out of her own window, her emerald eyes drooping tiredly. _We must have been on the road for hours now. It's pitch dark, and the moon is out. Oh, how nice. A full moon. I like full moons. So beautiful._ She sighed softly, leaning against the car door and her seatbelt to gaze up and the moon. She tucked her long golden locks behind her ears, and drew her yellow cardigan around her tighter. _Gosh, why is it so cold all of a sudden?_ She shivered, and looked around the car. Kano was busy driving, his knuckles white on the wheel. Yoko's forehead pressed against the window in deep sleep, and she couldn't tell if Suzu was asleep or not. Knowing Suzu, she was more aware about what was happening that she was. _So very tired._ Takara yawned behind her hand, and looked back to the moon. She then reached forward, and reached her hands round the head piece to the seat to hold Kano's shoulders.

"Everyone else asleep then?" Takara saw tired dark magenta eyes look at her through the rear-view mirror, and look over the other two. "Alright, I'll pull over as soon as I can. Ok?" she nodded happily. The last thing she wanted was for Kano to fall asleep at the wheel too. But she knew he would risk an extra mile to get them further from danger if he had to. But not at their expense, of course. "Ah, I see a shack. We can park up ahead." He said with what sounded like relief, and the car started to slow down. Takara yawned even more, blinking to stay awake a little while longer, until the car passed the little shack. "I see a shrine up ahead. That should be safer." And a few minutes later, the car stopped.

Kano took the keys out and pocketed them in this tracksuit trousers, zipped them up, and sank back into the comfy leather seats. "Go to sleep now Takara…(yawn)…no need to stay awake now…we are safe now... I promise…good night." But even so, Takara stayed awake just a little bit longer, just until she was the last conscious. _I hope we are safe. I don't know what I would do if anything happened to any of you._ She brushed some of Suzu's dark fringe from her eyes, and relaxed at last. _Sleep well my friends. Y family. I might not be strong, and I might not be able to tell you how much I care about you all…but I do care. And I would gladly fight for you all if I had to…oh so tired…tired…sleep._

AN: sorry if that was a lot in one chapter, but I really wanted to use this chapter for the introduction of my created original characters. Next chapter, we get really fruit's baskets!

Can't wait myself, hope you enjoy and review.

From

Draguna Doragon.


	2. Chapter 2

_**Chapter two.**_

"Urgh, ouch!" Suzu spat as she opened her eyes. "Fuck, my back is KILLING me! Who slept on it!" Suzu rubbed her head, trying to remember why the hell she wasn't in her bed, and why they were all together, asleep in the car.

Then she did. "Ah, _that's_ why. Did we get to the camp site yet?" with all the commotion, everyone else in the car was _forcedly_ woken up (Yoko after Suzu shook her), and Kano yawned loudly. He stretched his long arms up until they were only restricted by the car roof, and rubbed the sleep from his eyes.

"Not yet I'm afraid. After I stopped for fuel I didn't feel to well and decided to stop somewhere on the way."

"Wha? But the camp site is like an hour from the petrol station, tops. But _you_ were driving for like five hours or something." A loud grumble roared through the car. "And I'm hungry!"

"Me too. I haven't eaten anything but a sandwich since yesterday lunch time." Yoko rubbed her eyes childishly, and sat up groggily.

"Hay Takara, wake up will ya?" A firm jab in her side, and Takara jerked awake. "Rise and shine, sunshine." Takara blinked her emerald eyes around the car a few times, and yawned elegantly into her palm. She then started to smooth her white summer dress out and yellow cardigan. "You know, I don't see anywhere remotely _near_ the campsite Kano."

"That isn't important Suzu."

"But-"

"Suzu." Kano turned round in the chair, and looked at her with a brow raised.

Then at last it hit her, like a slap back to reality.

"OOooooh." She then blushed at only just getting it, and folded her arms. She reverted back to her moody pout, looked purposely away from Yoko.

"Look guys." And they all did. "I think I know we aren't _quite_ going to the campsite anymore."She smiled bravely, and fixed her cinnamon blonde hair up into the neatest high ponytail she could manage. She then saw that Takara had been smoothing herself off. "Heh heh, at least I don't have to worry about that sort of thing. Big baggy clothes aren't meant to look neat." She chuckled, and looked like she had never been happier. Her amber eyes shone a lost shine, and looked truly beautiful, despite her brown combat trousers with many pockets, strips of material coming off her pockets, and her huge olive green baggy jumper, with sleeves that covered her hands and came down to her knees. She blew her fringe from her face, and heard Suzu snicker at her.

"Where I beat you both. Because I just look ruffled no matter what I do." She stated smugly, her tight black hip hugging jeans give no room for creases, her material flat shin boots, and her tight black t shirt, which amplified her breasts desirably with the words 'stay back, I bite' sprayed in silver over her bust, also no room for creases, and her short leather jacket with her beloved green snake on the back didn't wrinkle either. Her midnight hair was always windswept, but her lipstick had come off. She reached into her jacket breast pocket, and took out a black lipstick tube, to apply more scarlet colour to her lips. The same scarlet, as her dog collar with small silver spikes around it, and her belt with the similar fashion.

"HA! You win that one Suzu." Yoko chuckled at her behind her baggy sleeved hand, and looked to her brother. He actually looked quite good to say he had been under the most stress (other than her). His sport tracksuit trousers with a white stripe down the outside of each leg, and his tracksuit zip up jacket, with nothing underneath, were looking quite good actually. The top of his jacket was zipped down below his pecks to show a sneak peek of his toned chest, and his ear length head of midnight black curtains were only a little ruffled. And like his sister, he suited the ruffled look. Although his dark magenta eyes were looking rather tired, but he smiled along his defined jaw nevertheless.

"She certainly does. Now, why don't we get going Hmmm?" he turned back to the front with a smile, and everyone seemed eager to get going. But he frowned. "The shack's gone."

"Huh! Excuse me, shack?" Suzu blinked at him, her arms still folded over her chest.

"The shack across the road, it was right there." Kano pointed across the road, the _dirt_ road. "And the road was cement." He scratched his head.

"Yeah, because in the few hours we actually were asleep, someone scooped up a shack, magically hacked the cement off the road and made it look like neither the road, or the shack had ever been there with fresh dirt and weedy grass." Suzu said sarcastically. "How many beers did you have before we left the house again?"

"What is think Suzu means." Yoko came to her rescue. "Is it was quite late last night and dark, and we were all tired and spent. Perhaps in the poor light it _looked_ like it was a real road, and you might have seen the shack further down the road or something." Yoko reasoned. _Or not at all._ But she kept that to herself.

"What?" Takara was shaking her head at her vigorously. She too started to point to the other side of the road desperately. "No, you saw it too! A shack?" she nodded. "_And_ a real road!" she gave a firm affirmative nod, and Suzu blinked at her brother.

"See, I told you there was a shack and a real road. I saw it, and so did Takara."

"Again, it was late, we were all tired." Yoko tried to reason again.

"Like fuck we were. He was pissed angry and piss drunk, and Takara was tired."

"And if I was drunk, and Takara was deliriously tired, then how did we see the exact same things?" Kano asked calmly, a confident smile on his face.

"…damn you." Suzu sulked back into the seat, and looked out the side window. "Well, so we are seeing things, _and_ lost. Are we lost? We betta not be!"

"No, we are not lost. I'll just go back the way I came. To the right." Kano put the keys into the ignition and pulled away from the shrine. "At least the damn Shrine didn't move." He muttered to himself, as he pulled onto the dirt road. "I can't remember the bushes being this close to the road." He grumbled again.

"You don't remember much of last night, do you?"

"I was _not_ drunk Suzu."

"Yeah, right." Kano just laughed at her. It was easy to forget the event of last night when he was just Kano, just the goofy big brother going the scenic route with his 'sisters'. "Hmmm, it looks like we will be driving next to a field for a few miles…"

"And let me guess." Suzu smirked with a raised eyebrow "Don't remember the field either, right?"

"Right."

"You are such a floop."

"I love you to." He chuckled at her response of a huff, and drove on.

An hour later, Takara tapped on her window loudly. Suzu looked over, and beamed.

"At last! A town! That way Kano, towards civilisation and waffles." Her stomach growled again. "And lots and lots of chocolate sauce."

"MMmmm, and whip cream." Yoko added. Takara rolled her eyes at them.

"We don't all eat so boringly like you Takara. Fruit for breakfast? Fruit and fibre? Muesli? Where is the sugar in that?" Takara chuckled silently, as the car drove through the streets. The large Warrior car was so big, people started staring when they pulled up to a food shop.

"Well, since we are all hungry, let's get some breakfast and I'll get a map and hopefully some friendly directions." Kano unlocked the doors, and all three girls were out of the car quicker than he could take the keys out of the ignition. "Ok…I guess we are _really_ hungry." He chuckled, and got out and locked the car. "Wait up!"

"Now what would he like to grow most, turnips, or strawberries? We grew strawberries this year already, maybe he would like a change?" the gentle girl with a big heart, long chocolate brown hair with two lovely yellow ribbons in her hair, bright blue eyes and a gardening magazine rolled under her arm. Her basket was still empty, having spent the last 20 minutes debating what to get a certain grey haired friend of hers. _Would Yuki like a change? Or would he want to stick safe with strawberries. And he seems to love growing them, and nurturing them, and picking them when they're ready. And he always lets me help him. Yuki really is good to me._ She giggled, and looked over her options again. She decided to stay with strawberries, nice and safe.

Being a Saturday, Tohru Honda wasn't wearing her usual uniform for school, but a knee length soft purple skirt and a white turtle neck, long sleeved shirt. She wore white frilly socks and her flat white trainers, bright and clean._ I'm so lucky to have friends like Yuki and Kyo and Shigure. After going to see Akito last month, they really mothered me. I really didn't mean to make them worry so much. And I must have upset Yuki a lot, by going there. He wouldn't let me out of his sight afterwards. He wanted to come with me today too, if Shigure hadn't offered to wait for me outside and take me back home in his car on the way back from his editor._ She giggled again, moving on to look for some fresh vegetables for dinner tonight. _I feel sorry for that poor editor of his. He always teases her by hiding the rest of his novels and pretending to have lost them, or just not done them yet. I think she looked a little pale last time. I don't know why she would get so ill from just finding the month late final chapter in her office after badgering Shigure all day._ In her mind, there was just no need for all the fuss. But she chuckled anyway, finding it amusing to see such relief on the young woman's face when she actually found the final part of his novel, safe and sound.

_Oh, they are having a sale on rice! I could stock up for weeks and weeks if I play my cards right._

Just as that thought entered her mind, a tall man bumped into her.

"Suzu! Takara? Yoko! Damn those girls, they know they give me a heart attack when they run off like this." He groaned, and then looked to the young girl bowing her head over and begging for his forgiveness frantically.

"Oh, I am so very very sorry sir! I didn't see you there, I was in a world of my own and I didn't mean to walk into you. Please forgive me, I'll get right out of your way."

"Oh please." He chuckled weakly. It had been his fault for barging round the corner like that. _He_ had bumped into _her._ "It was my fault. I'm just looking for my sister and her friends. Those three really like to test my blood pressure some times." Kano ran a hand through his hair, and chuckled kindly. He then saw he had made her drop her magazine. "Oh, let me get that for you."

"Oh, no need really!"

"Nonsense. It's the least I can do for walking into you so brashly. Here." He handed her the magazine back after giving it a once over. "You like to garden?"

"With a friend, yes. He is much better than I am though, but I like to help where I can." Kano smiled. This girl seemed so innocent, so enthusiastic and kind.

"Do you know where I could find a map at all? And maybe there is an isle for missing siblings too?"

"Oh, y, have you really lost them! Oh how awful!"

"I know. First I lost our way, then I lost _them_. I'm doing quite lousy."

"And you look so tired." She said with mothering concern.

"Well, I was driving nearly all night and into this morning." He chuckled. "But don't worry. All I need is my sisters, a map, and a very, very strong cup of coffee."

But she wasn't having any of his joking nature.

"Come this way, we'll ask at the desk for an announcement for your missing sisters. You said sister-_s_ right?" She held his hand, and started to lead him.

"Kinda, see-"

"What do you mean I can't buy this!" Kano snapped his head over towards the counter, and sighed with relief.

"And that, ladies and gentlemen, is my baby sister Suzu." He laughed tiredly, and looked to the young girl. He looked the same age as his sister.

"Oh thank goodness. I wouldn't been able to stop worrying all day if I thought you were out here still looking for them. are those you sisters to?" the blue eyes angel indicated towards the two girls trying to hold the black haired temptress that was his sister, from attacking the overly flirting old man behind the front desk.

"Perverted arsehole!" Tohru gasped.

"Suzu, watch your language and your temper." Kano chuckled, and once and for all pulled her far from the counter. "Now never run off like that again, _any_ of you, and what is the problem?" Tohru smiled, an outsider looking in. this was such a familiar scene, but she couldn't place it. But there was definitely something familiar about the man she bumped into.

"Grrr!" she snarled. Kano resorted to plan B.

"Yoko? Care to explain?"

"We are trying to by some waffles and some fruit for Takara, and the guy says we need _real_ money to buy it! Is he retarded!"

"Now I'm sure this is a big misunderstanding. What is wrong with the money?" Suzu shrugged him off, and brushed herself off.

"Well." Tohru looked over her appearance, and reminded her of Haru. But darker. And something much more about her than simply a mood swing.

Although she seemed to be in full swing, if you know what I mean. "I gave this guy my money, he gave it back and said it was fake, and I told him it was. He then said he would give it to me for free if I gave something to him for free, and then quite _freely_ gave me a one over, and I offered a free BEATING if he didn't fuck off!" she growled, folded her arms, and turned her back to the counter with a huff. "Bastard." Kano rolled his eyes, used to this by now.

"Please be more respectful to my kid sister, please." He said nicely enough. "Now, what is wrong with this money?" he looked his money over, and couldn't see anything wrong with it. He didn't bother asking how Suzu got it from him. Because she always found his money somewhere or another. Even if _he_ didn't know about it.

"Oh, what strange currency." Tohru piped in. "Where are you from?"

"Japan."

"But…we don't use money like _that._ At least, it doesn't _look_ like any Yen I've ever seen."

"What! Are you deluded? That _is _Yen."

"Did you get that at an exchange shop somewhere? Oh dear, I think you might have been unfairly tricked." Tohru smiled sympathetically. "Look, _this_ is what Yen looks like." Tohru trustingly opened her purse to them all. "See?" She got some out for them. "The characters on your coins are all wrong." She nodded firmly. "I'll pay for those if you like. Being lost, _and_ having no money must be awful. Oh." She placed a finger on her chin. "I'll just get the rest of the shopping and a map and I'll be right back, ok?" she cheered beamingly at them all, before disappearing behind the kitchen cleaning utensils isle.

They al blinked after her.

"Wait, no, wait!" Kano hurried after her, and the girls all gathered at the end of isle to watch. They couldn't hear anything, but they could clearly see the girl's insistence and bright smile, no matter how much Kano begged her not to.

"Oh great." Yoko and Takara looked round to Suzu, who was pouting again. "_Another_ girl roped in tragically towards my brother and his disastrously good looks. Eck, I'm gonna be sick."

"Or perhaps, a girl roped in by our distress and disastrouslydire situation, by helping us have breakfast and a map, and is currently pointing out where we are."

"Wha-huh?" Suzu snapped her head towards were Yoko was pointing and grinning, and blinked with disbelief.

The girl with yellow ribbons in her hair, long chocolate brown hair, big blue eyes and warm smile, was balancing her purse under her chin, her magazine underneath an open map, and pointing along a road (she assumed), and Kano nodding with understanding. He then took the map from her, and picked up her shopping. They were walking back this way.

"Oh no, you couldn't!"

"No, no I wont have it. You have done so much for us already, trying to help me find my sisters, and now buying us breakfast and a map? No, it is the _least_ I can do to help out with _your_ shopping. And I will pay you back, I swear."

"Oh, gosh no. It doesn't matter at all, really." She giggled.

"Nonsense." He smiled, thanking god someone like this girl was actually real. He thought they only existed in fairytales. "I want to help."

"Oh, but you shouldn't really I-oh!" Her list of shopping was taken from her by gentle hands, and she looked up into equally warm emerald eyes. Suzu snapped her head back to where Takara _was_ stood, to where she stood now. _How did she move so fucking fast!_

"You want to help to Takara? Let's see." Tohru blinked as Kano and the golden blonde haired girl peered over her list. "Family shopping huh? Quite a lot there." He nodded.

"I want to help to." Yoko announced, walking over to them. "I mean it." She play punched Tohru's arm. "You are alright, thanks for helping us out. No really, you have."

"So you got him to admit he was lost then?" Suzu asked. She then smirked. "I like you already." _And I hope to be pleasantly surprised by you. Not getting gaga over my brother is a rare thing, and a good sign._ "I'm in."

Tohru watched helplessly as her daily shopping list was split into four, and she was left to watch them all dart around the store for different items.

5 minutes flat, and everything had been gathered. It would have taken her at least another 30 minutes to do that!

"Oh, thank you so much! I really don't know how to repay you."

"Der, _we_ are repaying _you_." Suzu poked her shoulder.

"But you shouldn't don't have to." She brightly.

"No, we don't. But you didn't have to help us either, but you did." Yoko put an arm around her shoulders, and this was a really good sign. She only ever let Suzu, Kano or Takara this lose to her. "One good deed deserves another, and all that. Right, I'll carry these 4 bags." She lifted them up like they were nothing.

_Oh my, I would have had to make two trips home and back just for those four._ She blinked with disbelief.

Then Suzu picked up 4, Kano another 5 (one in his mouth) and Takara picked up 2. She seemed to be closer to Tohru's strength than the others. _Gosh are they strong._

"Hay, what's your name anyway?" Suzu asked bluntly.

"Oh, oh my gosh, I'm so sorry. How rude of me! My name is Tohru Honda. Please call me Tohru."

"Well Tohru, I'm Yoko Nakamura." Tohru liked the amber colour of her eyes, and her cinnamon hair. She looked natural, but her clothes were very strange. They seemed to be boy's clothes, and way, _way_ too big.

"I'm Kano Fukazawa Sensei. But you can call me Kano." Tohru blushed immediately.

"Oh gosh, sensei?"

"I'm a Sport's studies teacher. You know, at schools with PE and sport's studies. But call me Kano."

"And I'm the bane of his existence, kid sis herself, Suzu Fukazawa. But just Suzu. And this is another good friend, Takara Mei." Takara smiled and nodded to her. Tohru wanted to ask why she hadn't said anything, but that would be rude and she really didn't want to upset them on their first meeting. Or ever. But she did find herself looking every now and then at the blonde's necklace. Such a pretty pink ribbon, and a gorgeous gold pendant. She wanted to trace it with her fingers, but thought better of it. She then looked over the dress she wore. Elegant, dainty. A white summer dress that ruffled like a gypsy collar, with only spaghetti straps holding it up. She had a yellow cardigan tied around her waist now, the weather getting hotter with the season.

"Well I'm really honoured to meet you all!" she chirped. "I'll just go and pay for all this." _It's a good thing I got my pay yesterday. I'll just have to work a little longer at the weekend, that's all._ Tohru added her own money to the money Shigure gave her to shop with, and followed them all outside. "Please, let me at least carry the bag in your mouth Fukazawa sensei. Don't burden yourself on my account. Oh please, I should really carry something."

"Naff." He muffled through the bag handle. This wasn't a strain at all.

"Look, when my brother says something, he means it. You have not got a hope in hell of changing his mind." Suzu then chuckled at her blank look. "In other words, he isn't going to give you a bag." She opened her mouth. "And neither are we." She chuckled again, and they all stopped in front of a black car. The driver window came down, and Kano raised a brow.

There was a man with ruffled black hair, parted to the sides of his eyes, framing dark brown eyes with a twinkle of mischief in them, but shining with maturity at the same time. He had a wonderfully chiselled jaw line, smooth, perfect for nibbling…

He wore oddly enough, a full grey Gi and matching Hakame. _Very traditional. _He looked very tall sat there in the driver's seat, and wearing a very smooth smile.

"Well Tohru, it seems you have succeeded in collecting yet _another_ group of friends. I hope you won't forget about us, will you?" he comically pretended to swoon, and Tohru reacted instantly.

"Oh gosh no never! You are all my friends and I would never forget about all the wonderful things you have done for me and would never ever _ever_ even _think_ about-" her mouth was muffled, and she looked over her shoulder to find Yoko grinning at her.

"He's kidding."

"What? How would you know that?" the man asked.

"Because after so many years of Kano, I see really bad sarcasm and mucking about from a mile off." Yoko released Tohru's mouth. "I didn't over do it did I? you're not hurt or anything, right?"

"What, no no of course not." She chuckled.

"Good." She picked up her 4 bags again. "So…which way to your house Tohru?"

"Excuse me?" the mad addressed her. But Tohru intervened.

"Well they are all lost and have no money because a lousy sale's man gave them the wrong currency and they've been driving all last night into this morning too! I helped the best I could with a map and they offered to pay me back by carrying my shopping for me." She explained hurriedly. "I just want to make sure they are alright Shigure San, to help them on their way. I would never be able to forgive myself if I left them to wander around, alone, starving and with no hope!" Shigure blinked at her, and chuckled a smile.

"Well in that case, I guess I can't refuse. Hop in." he certainly couldn't have Tohru fretting herself. Yuki and Kyo would kill him! and he wouldn't be able to bare it either. He was half tempted to hazard a guess that Tohru knew this…but he shrugged it off. One look at her innocently smiling face dispelled all thoughts of underhanded sneakiness.

"Oh thank you so much Shigure San! I'll sure make it up to you some how!"

"Is this your brother?" Suzu asked with a sceptical eyebrow raised.

"Oh, no." she chuckled. "This is Shigure Sohma San, he is one of the men I live with." At that Suzu's eyes almost boggled out of her head. Then she looked scadalised towards Shigure.

"_ONE _of the men you live with? How many do you live with Tohru?"

"Oh, two others. Yuki Sohma, and Kyo Sohma. We aren't related, but we are really close friends and I pull my weight around by cleaning and cooking and all sorts of cleaner lady things around the house. I do what ever I can, you know." She beamed.

But everything she said entered Suzu's head, twisted, and bubbled until she was livid. She put the bags down, yanked on Shigure's collar and half dragged him out of the car window.

"You sick bastard! How _dare_ you use a young girl for you own amusement like this! I bet you have a uniform for her and everything! A piny!"

"W Well I did get her a maid's uniform from Aayame once but-"

"One girl living alone in a house with THREE other GUYS! Are you retarded? _I'll sure make it up to you some how!_"

"Suzu!" Kano put his bags down and dragged her sister off the sweapdropping Shigure. His eyes had become as big as saucers and was blinking at her wildly.

"Wh, wha, what!"

"But I'm not lonely or hard done by Suzu. I like it there." She beamed, blissfully unaware of what Suzu had just insinuated.

"I am _so_ sorry Mr Sohma. My sister is quite, well, free viewed and expressive of those views. She really doesn't think before she acts sometimes."

"Grfhgp." She muffled profanities through Kano's hand, but he didn't release her. "Thank you so much for the invitation, we will be what, 5 minutes? Just a quite look at the map and we will be on our way. I promise." He sweatdropped, having never been so embarrassed, and yanked his flailing sister back.

"No, not at all." Shigure quickly reassured him. "I have a strange family myself, I know how it feels to be the older one and have to control their impulses."_ Or bear the brunt of them._ "Please, get into the car and we'll sort you out for sure."

"I'll give you something to sort out!"

"Suzu!" he yelped with despair. "Please behave yourself. Stop making assumptions!"

"I follow my instincts and I have never been wrong yet!"

"Like when you _weren't _wrong back in the supermarket?" Yoko was referring to her first assumption of Tohru, and that turned out to be wrong…so…

"Humph!" she folded her arms, and Kano sighed with relief.

"I am very sorry, please forgive my sister."

"No problem." Shigure chuckled. "It's actually quite normal for me to be accused of being a pervert." He sweatdropped. "Undeservingly of course."

"Yeah, right." Kano chuckled, and then remembered something. "Oh, I have my own car, we can follow you with the shopping in there if you like. Lot's of room in the truck."

"Truck?" Shigure leaned out his window, and his eyes glazed over. "Is that a Mitsubishi Warrior?"

"Yep. My baby."

"What a gorgeous gene pool you have. An excellent specimen."

"Oh I do try." Both men chuckled, and surprisingly blushed afterwards. But they recovered from it instantly. "Well I guess I'll just follow you then."

"Are all four of you ramped up in there? I'm sure we could 'share out' our teens if you like. If you are taking the shopping as well."

"Well I _would_ put it in the back of the truck, but I don't want anything to get lost or damaged, so I suppose that would work great." Kano nodded, and looked to Yoko. "Could you go with Tohru and Mr Sohma?" he then rethought that. She might still need to be with at least one friend. And Takara couldn't go _obviously._ "Actually, maybe Suzu should-"

"Ooo, you have leather seating too. I tell you, riding for hours on end and sleeping in a car all night and morning really gives you an appreciation for leather seating." Yoko had already clambered in after Tohru, who eagerly welcomed her. Kano chuckled, glad everything seemed better, and started to walked away.

"I didn't get your name!" he turned back, seeing Shigure blushing at how stupid he sounded. Kano smiled dashingly, and bowed his head once.

"Kano Fukazawa. But just call me Kano." He then turned, and marched Suzu (still in a mood) and Takara back to the warrior. _Oh yeah, Mr cool._


	3. Chapter 3

_**Chapter 3**_

"I can't believe you let her go alone with those strangers Kano. After everything she's just-"

"I trust them. Yoko went willingly and _this_ dog smelt no rat. So, I made an educated and informed decision, that _you_ wouldn't understand, and decided that it would be safe for Yoko to ride with Mr Sohma and Tohru."

"_Mr_ Sohma?" Suzu smirked at him.

"_Mr_ Sohma." He then winked at her, and left her to talk to (or at) Takara.

_in the car with Shigure, Tohru and Yoko…_

"So, how old are you Yoko?"

"16, just. I'm kind of the baby of the bunch." She grinned. "But it means I get away with a lot more."

"So you get up to more then?" Shigure slipped in slyly. Yoko blushed, but nodded with a grin.

"Yep." She sat back into the seat with her hands behind her head. "I said I get away with it. So I do it. Besides, with friends like mine I never _really_ get into trouble. Oh wait…I do. I tend to get detentions thanks to Suzu, and her 'violent outbursts'. She isn't always like that. And usually she has a pretty damn good reason. She only bit at _you_ because she thought…" Yoko looked at Tohru.

"I understand." Shigure laughed. "And I say good on her for feeling the need to protect our little flower. Yuki would be grateful anyway."

"Yuki?" Yoko raised a cinnamon brow.

"Oh, Yuki Sohma. He is Shigure's cousin. He's really really nice! He is the one I got this for." Tohru took the rolled up magazine out from under her arm at last and tried her best to flatten it on her lap. "He is really good at gardening, and he let's me help him with it." Yoko smiled at the enthusiasm in her eyes and her voice.

"What's he like?"

"Ask him yourself. We're picking him up from a school council meeting at the town hall on our way home. And Kyo if we pass the tree he is hiding up." Shigure looked out of his rear-view mirror to make sure Kano was following him. _Wouldn't want such a…interesting guy like that to get lost again. Now would we?_ He smirked, and kept driving when he was convinced Kano took the same street as him. He even made sure to indicate way too early just to let him know their next turn.

"Kyo?"

"Oh, the third and final boy I live with. Kyo and Yuki don't get along very well, but they are trying! And they've stopped fighting at much at school now too." She added to herself with pride.

"At school? You all go to school together?" _They are just like we are._

"Yes, and we are all in the same class too! It's really great, Kyo is so funny and Yuki always helps me with anything and everything. He helped me study a lot for my last test!"

"Ouch, I hate tests. I have to study for ages and ages to get a good score." She shook her head, like tests were a bad flavour on her tongue. "Hate tests. Prefer more vocational exams."

"Like Art?"

"No!" Tohru blinked at her.

"I'm sorry I-"

"No, it's ok. It's not your fault, really." Yoko chuckled weakly. _Damn, I did it again. I really need to start to kick that habit…_

"Oh, no need. Sometimes I think _I'm_ a little over zealous with my answers too. Or so I'm told."

"I can't imagine that." Yoko smiled brightly, as Tohru told her about her school, her friends Hana-san and Uo, her favourite vegetable and fruit, and even what she was planning to cook for dinner tonight.

"I was thinking something like Gyoza dumplings. My mother used to make them for me when I was little, and I've bought all the right ingredients."

"Well you should ask Kano to cook!" Yoko said eagerly. "He is a bit of a master chief, very experimental, loves spicing things up."

"Oh does he now?" Shigure smirked even more. And Yoko missed his meaning.

"Yeah, sure does. He likes to pour hot lemon sauce over fried rice and chicken slices, and it is delicious!"

"Oh, that sounds so different. I'll have to ask him for the recipe." Tohru nodded, adding that to her things-to-do list. "Can everyone stay for dinner Shigure? There is plenty of food, and I would be able to see how good Kano is, maybe learn a few things." Both girls looked to him eagerly.

"Sure, why not." The thought of having Kano stay a little longer at his house wasn't unappealing.

With his sisters, of course. "You know, you don't _look_ like Kano."

"Hmm? Should I?" Yoko blinked.

"Well he _did_ say you were his sisters."

"OOOoooh, I see. Well, not really. Suzu is his birth sister, but he kind of adopted me and Takara as his sisters to." She giggled. "Takara, Suzu and myself have been friends for so long, it seems natural to him to call us all his sisters. He has really looked out for us like a true brother." She then looked distracted to the side. "He always seems to save the day, and come to my rescue…_our_ rescue." She added with a chuckle. "So, you see now that we aren't all related?"

"I didn't think so somehow. Black and magenta eyes, and blonde and amber? And then green and blonde? Hardly. Ms Fukazawa's appearance however, is more believable."

"Those two are so alike in some ways, and different in so many more ways." Yoko laughed. "So you said we are picking up Yuki from a school meeting? It's Saturday, right?"

"That's what he said." Shigure laughed. "But apparently the school council wouldn't be able to function without their class president, so he put aside his own needs for the needs of his people." Shigure said dramatically, and then laughed. "In other words they begged him."

"Ha!" Yoko chuckled and looked to Tohru again. "I'm glad we are allowed to stay for dinner. I'll be on washing dishes if you like. And Takara will really want to help out too, so she can be on drying up." She said to herself more than Tohru.

"Oh no! I couldn't have you do that, you're the guests!"

"We're the burdens, more like." She laughed at her confused expression. "Never mind." The car slowed down. "So…does that mean we've found Yuki?"

"No, it means we've found the tree Kyo was hiding in." Shigure chuckled cheekily, before flipping the door switch. "Come on in, Kyo. Enjoy yourself up there?"

"Oh Shut up Shigure. I was only up there because of those damn cats! Following me around…" Yoko gulped at what she saw. Redish brown eyes, a ruffled head of _orange_ hair? He was slightly tanned, and very lean, tall. He wore trainers, army green utility trousers with all the pockets and the black belt, had a little bit of toned tummy peeping through a gap, and a skin tight black T shirt.

And he was half way in the car, frozen stiff with his eyes on her.

_Who the hell is this? _At first he had seen the baggy clothes and started his defensive mode, not liking there was a strange guy with Tohru. But then he saw her face, her bright Amber eyes, her cinnamon blonde hair, and feline shapely face. _Shape about the body._ He thought. "Who the fuck is this?" he pointed rudely at her. She instantly stopped staring at him, scowled, and looked forward with folded arms.

"I'm Yoko. And it's bloody rude to point." She huffed. Tohru moved up to the other side of the car, Yoko the middle, and was horrified to see that this guy was going to sit next to her. "Kyo?"

"Erm, yeah? How did you know my name?"

"They told me." She said bluntly. _Manners like a pig!_

"Oh, they shouldn't have." He said, but it sounded like he meant it. Literally. "Yoko? How do you know Tohru and Shigure?"

"Can you interview me _inside_ the car? You look a big of an idiot with one foot in and one foot out of the car like that." He growled, forcedly sat next to her, and slammed the door.

"How do you-"

"I came with my friends and their brother. We got lost. Our money doesn't work. Tohru is in-humanly kind, and Shigure very hospitable too. We're going to your house, having dinner it seems, getting directions, and then we are _leaving._ Happy? Or do you want to glare at me a little more?" she pouted at his glare, matching his stare.

_What is with this guy? Why does he ruffle my feathers like this?_

"You're staying for dinner? And how many others?"

"Three more. Want to know my birthday as well? Perhaps my blood type and any past involvement with the police, while your at it?" Kyo growled even loud, and grunted against the seat.

Shigure had already started driving off, and laughed.

"That should teach you to be so blunt Kyo."

"Shut up." He said moodily out of the window.

Yoko took a deep breath, and looked to Tohru. She looked very down, looking at her knees.

_Is that my fault? Because I wasn't very nice to her friend?_ That made Yoko feel awful, after all Tohru had done for them, she went and made a bad impression with her friend.

"Grrr, fine." She said to no one, but Kyo looked at her with an eyebrow raised. "Look, I don't like being addressed by 'who the fuck is this?', ok? You spoke like I wasn't even here. Or like I was a disgusting thing on the car seat."_ and I am through with being treated like that._ "And so I lost my temper and bit back at you. I'm not one to usually sit there and accept that sort of thing. But I'm sorry. I shouldn't have had a go at you so soon. I apologies." Yoko put her hands together and bowed to him. "Forgive me?"

Kyo just blinked at her.

"Humph, yeah whatever." He brushed her off and started to turn his finger in his ear.

"Yeah whatever! Is that all you can say!"

"Erm, yeah?" he raised a brow at her. _Weird kid._

"Fine." She turned on the leather seat to face Tohru. She wasn't going to let Kyo upset her. "So, about dinner. Kano and you can cook, I'll wash up, Takara will dry, and Suzu will do her usual thing and go off somewhere. She does that, just to be alone for a while. No big."

"Oh…ok."

"Just for dinner, then you're leaving?" Kyo asked, but didn't even look at them. Yoko bit her bottom lip, trying not to slip a harsh comment for the sake of it, and forced a smile. And obviously forced smile.

"Yeah, then we will be out of your pretty orange hair." She spat, and tuned her back to him fully.

"grunt good."

"Good."

Shigure gulped on the tension. And then he relaxed.

"Ah." He opened the window. "Finished early?"

"I've been waiting for you to pick me up for 20 minutes." He said slightly annoyed. "Is Tohru with you?"

"She sure is, plus two."

"Hana and Uo?"

"No, Yoko and Kyo."

"Yoko?" the front passenger door opened, and he joined them in the car. The first thing the new person did, was crane his neck round and look at them all in the back.

Yuki had had a hard day, trying to please everyone, avoid giggling girls, and get some work done at the same time. Where his thoughts have been on Tohru and feeling at a loss. _He_ should have walked her to the shop, _he_ should be the one taking her home and carrying her shopping with her. Not Shigure, that pervert, or Kyo, that stupid cat! He didn't want to listen to over hormonal girls tell him how they want to paint the new Sophomore common room sunflower yellow with pink dots, batting their eyes at him all the time. He made no sign of knowing, but he did know exactly what they were doing.

_I never wanted to be there. But Tohru was so proud of me when I became the class president. I couldn't slack off in my duties when she made such an effort for me. _He smiled to himself as he thought about it. _She even got up an hour early to make me some breakfast, because she knew I wouldn't have any otherwise. She even made some rice balls for me to take with me._

But then when he finished his meeting, and everyone had gone, he was sat on his own on the park bench by the road, wondering what she was doing.

Was she safe?

Had she managed to find everything she needed?

Had Akito come after her again?

Was he hurting her for being the only joy in Yuki's life?

Those questions whirred and burned in his head, until his eyes stung and his temples throbbed. His worry only grew with each massing minute, and after 20 minutes, he was contemplating running home.

But at last that black car pulled up, the familiar face of Shigure looked to him gratefully, and his racing heart relaxed.

It was just silly concern, Tohru was alright. _But who is this girl with her?_

Yuki was looking at her through the space between his seat and Shigure's, blinking his deep purple eyes and ignoring the lovely breeze through the window as it fluttered through his famous grey hair. He pulled on his collar, and smiled to her. "Oh, I assume you are Yoko. My name is Yuki Sohma." He reached back and shook her hand. She seemed to brighten up after this, and nodded to him with a smile.

"My Name is Yoko Nakamura. Pleased to meet you Yuki. Oh, can I call you Yuki? Or do you prefer Mr Sohma?"

"No, please, call me Yuki." He smiled politely, and looked her over. _She seems nice enough, harmless even._ He had to admit (to himself) he felt a twinge of worry when he heard an unfamiliar name being with Tohru, but his fears had been set to rest. "It's nice to meet a guy with _manners_." Yuki blinked, but realised what she meant when Kyo grunted.

"I see you have become acquainted with the stupid cat already. Let me apologise for anything stupid he might have said or done."

"Shut up! You damn rat!"

"Is that the best you can do?"

"The best I can do!" Kyo reached out and fisted the shoulder of Yuki's seat. "I'll drag you out of this car and show you _just_ what I can do!"

"Anytime catnip head."

"You're on sewage monger!" lighting danced between red and purple eyes furiously. Shigure smiled to himself, feeling content with the normality of the situation for him, while the two girls paused before their reactions.

"Oh dear." Tohru frowned. She really didn't want Yoko to think this is how they acted all the time. They didn't, and they had been doing so well recently.

"Oh yeah!" at that, everyone but the designated driver Shigure stared at her with disbelief, especially Kyo.

Yoko had her fists in front of her, grinning and looking excited. "So, which one of you has the most skill?

"I do." They both said.

"Grr, I have more skill that you, damn rat!"

"Really? Then why do I beat you all the time? Hmm?"

"Oh I'll show you!"

"Less talk more fights!"

"Yoko no!"

"Ya know, I think I'm starting to like you Yoko." Kyo turned his smirking head to look at her, and for a moment, she was stunned. When he grinned like that, his red eyes dazzling with the passion of fighting, his boy soft lips curved with perfect white teeth showing, he looked…

"And if you are as good as you say you are, I think I am willing to say the same for you too." Yoko nodded. "In fact, I'd be tempted to take you on myself."

"You fight?" Kyo sat back, eyes still shining and all interest in Yuki gone.

"I'm a martial artist, actually. I've been practising since I was about oh…7? I haven't been in a week though, I was _supposed_ to go yesterday, but we got lost so…" _And with running away I don't thing I could have just turned up at the dojo._ She chuckled to herself.

"I've trained since I can remember. In fact, quite a few months ago I lived in the mountains, just to train and hone my senses through intensive training." Yoko opened her mouth in awe.

"The only time I've been able to train in the out doors is when I've gone camping with Suzu and Takara. But they aren't much for that sort of thing so they end up either teasing me, or getting me to do something else. I live in the middle of town you see."

"This town?" he said hopefully.

"No, I don't even know where _this town_ is! Kano, the guy who was driving, got us totally lost on the way to the camp site. Ever heard of Hiko lake?"

"Hiko?" Shigure asked with a brow raised.

"Yeah. We live in Hiko city, but the lake is quite a drive away. The camping site there is wonderful, and Kano and his sister take me and Takara there to his lake hut every holiday. And we planned to go there this weekend too. But he got us lost somehow…"

"And how many years have you been going there?" Shigure asked.

"Well, Kano and his sister Suzu have gone since they were little children, but Takara and me joined them oh, say, 9 or 10 years ago?"

"And after going to the same place for 10 years, he gets lost?"

"Yeah, that idiot. I know it was dark but still." She huffed, eager to change where this was headed. "But I love going there. It's like all your worries fade away, surrounded by beautiful nature, that calmness you can't get in the city, and I just find my focus gets even more focused, if you know what I mean." She laughed. "I know that sounds stupid, but-"

"I think it's ok." Kyo blushed, and looked away with his arms crossed. "Not the most stupid thing I've ever heard, at least."

"Take that as a complement." Yuki added with a smile.

"I think I will." Yoko nodded.

"Hiko lake sounds beautiful." Tohru beamed dreamily.

"Oh it really is." Her eyes saddened, and she looked to the back of Shigure's seat. "Once, when I felt like falling forever, I stood on a prayer stone at the centre of the lake, and looked up to see the most beautiful night sky I have ever seen. The stars shone like a millions diamonds in the moonlight, twinkling on the water's edge all around me. The Constellations were bright and it was a full moon, my favourite kind, and it hadn't rained for days. I hate rain." Kyo looked to her distant face. "It always makes me sad. Too many memories." She chuckled softly. "But all those things just disappeared in the moonlight, the lake waves crashing gently over my feet…" Her eyes started to water.

The was the night she thought about ending all her worries, only to be rescued by the beauty of the world around her. She survived because of it. "Really moving." She chuckled, and blinked suddenly. "Why are you all looking at me like that?"

"We're home." Shigure rescued her. "Home sweet home." Anxious to make sure Kano (and the girls of course) had found a place to park, he got out to find them. "Lock up Yuki." He threw him the keys.

"Ok." Yuki got out so quickly, he surprised Tohru by opening her door for her. "Here." He smiled, and offered her his hand.

"Oh, thank you Yuki." She blushed, and let him held her out. Both Yuki and Tohru looked back into the car, to see Yoko and Kyo staring at each other with an eager smirk on their faces.

"You know…there is a lot of space in our back garden."

"Space to…stretch off perhaps?"

"And some."

Their smirks grew, and Yuki was very afraid. Because Yoko looked too much like Kyo right now it was unnerving. "Race you."

"You're on!" Yuki pulled Tohru out of the way as Yoko bolted out of the same door he held open still, and Kyo the other, towards the back garden.

Kano barely avoided being ploughed over and jumped to the side. Suzu watched them go, and scratched her head.

"Who is that?"

"Hell if I know." Kano whispered to her. "But he seems to be chasing Yoko into the back garden. With a grin on her face." Suzu looked to him and that same brow raised.

"Do you think…"

"It _is_ possible." Kano said thoughtfully.

"No, it isn't." was her blunt reply.

"Oh please, you have to stop them!" Tohru came up and grabbed onto Suzu's hands. Suzu didn't know what to do, not being used to having her hands held like this.

"Why?"

"They are going to fight! And they could get hurt!" _Or hug!_

"Peh, told you so." She aimed at her brother. "Look, Yoko is a great fighter. I've watched her compete loads of times, she knows what she is doing. She actually has great control. She'll be fine. I would worry about that orange headed guy if I were you."

"I am!" Tohru then hurried off to Yuki, who had already grabbed Shigure to tell him.

"I don't see a problem." He said calmly.

"But if they hug, you know." Yuki whispered, now joined by a frantic Tohru.

"You said they are fighting, right?" Shigure held his chin in thought, as he picked up a shopping bag with the other hand. "I hardly think they will 'hug' while fighting. Besides, Kyo wouldn't let her. He is just as body conscious you are Yuki." Yuki blushed and pouted slightly at that.

"Am not…" he muttered. But he knew it was true.

Takara and Suzu joined them (Takara carrying 2 bags, Suzu 4), and Suzu stared at Yuki waiting.

"Well? Are you going to make yourselves useful and carry some shopping or not?"

"Who? Me?" Yuki pointed to himself. He then blushed with embarrassment. "Of course, where are the rest of the bags?"

"Over here!" Kano yelled, his upper body bent into the car front. He was trying to pull bags over from the other side of the car, and failing. _Great, just leave me to it them girls._ He chuckled. _What did I expect of teenagers?_

"Here, let me help you with that." Kano looked over his shoulder and saw Shigure.

"Oh, great thanks." He pulled himself up into the seat, and started to hand over bags to Shigure, who put them down on the floor and waited for the next one.

When the car was unloaded, both grown men reached down to carry the bags, and their hands touched over the same bag. Shigure's ontop of Kano's.

"Oh, sorry!"

"No, my fault." Both men chuckled through their blushes.

Kano didn't know what to do next. This had never happened to him before. "I'll just get these."

"Let me help. It's my shopping after all."

"Are you head of the household?"

"Well, _this_ one. But not he family household." They lifted bags up, Shigure having 2 and Kano 3. "The Sohma estate is quite a way away."

"Don't you miss your family?"

"Well, those two boy _are_ my family. My younger cousins. Yuki, the one with grey hair, and Kyo, the orange head."

"Ah, the one who chased my Yoko…I see." He smiled dashingly. "So, shall we?"

"Oh, after you."

"Oh no, you're the host. I insist." They laughed, and Suzu just stared at them blinking and had to suddenly suppress the urge to laugh her arse off!

_About time I say!_

"Well, if you_ insist_." Both grown men led the way, followed by Suzu and Takara, then Yuk and Tohru, who was showing Yuki the magazine she's bought him.

"Oh wow, is this the newest addition?" Yuki looked over the top tips section. "For me?"

"A ha." She beamed and nodded happily.

"Thank you Tohru. But I haven't got anything to give you."

"Oh, no need. If you enjoy it, that's payment enough." They smiled to each other, and Suzu gave Takara a look from in front of them. She leaned into her blonde haired friend, and whispered.

"Just who are those two trying to kid?" Takara chuckled silently into her bitten lips, and walked on. Until she almost had a heart attack.

"GOOD MORNING!" Takara fell backwards out of shock of the sudden appearance of a tall man, with long silvery white hair and golden yellow eyes. He was dressed in an expensive looking, long, scarlet red robe, with elegant embroidery along the red edge of the high neck collar, with a white rim that ran down the centre of the robe all the way past 6 golden buttons, and stopped just before his pelvis, where it opened all the way down to the floor. He wore a white under-robe, and had frilly white cuffs. "Yuki boy! My dearest beloved brother! It is I! Aayame!"

"Oh God it's you." Yuki hung his head over. "How did _you_ get in here?"

"I have a key." He beamed.

"And _who_ gave you a key?" Yuki then glared at Shigure, who then held Kano's back, turning him with him to tip toe towards the kitchen comically.

"What was that Kano? You want to see the kitchen? I would be _delighted_ to show you." He chuckled nervously.

"_Shigure."_ Yuki growled, outlining in purple and scowling. "Did you-"

"And who is this?" Yuki looked back, to see his 'brother' doing a full circle around Suzu and Takara. "I don't believe I've had the pleasure." He bowed from his waist, and held a hand out to them. Suzu took it, and sarcastically curtseyed to the side with her hip.

"I'm Suzu Fukazawa, and Takara Mei. And you are?"

"A pain in the ass…" Yuki groaned, and Tohru giggled.

"This is Aayame Sohma San. Yuki's older brother." He flinched.

"Did you _have_ to tell them that?"

"Oh! I'm sorry, but it thought-"

"Now now Yuki boy, you may have wanted to shout to the heavens above that I am your brother with pride yourself, but you shouldn't take it out on Poor Tohru for getting there first." Suzu snickered behind her hand. "Ms Fukazawa, right?"

"Wrong. Suzu. I hate being called by my last name." she flipped her hair confidently.

"Very well. Then you _must_ call me Aayame."

"I will."

"You hair my dear, it is so glossy, and yet so wild. I love it." He took a strand of it in his manicured hands, and brushed his cheek with it. Like his own, her hair ran down to her waist, so it was long enough to play with without needing to pull on it.

"What can I say, I just woke up like this." _Literally._ He saw stars in his eyes, and nodded.

"You truly are something Suzu, and-" He then opened his mouth like he was going to say something…but then didn't. He stepped closer to her, and looked deep into her pink magenta eyes, letting her hair slip out of his fingers.

"What?" she blinked at him.

"Snake." He said with a devilish smirk.

"Huh?"

"You were born in the year of the snake, weren't you?"

"Yeah, I was. 1982." She chuckled, taken back. "How did you know that?"

"I can ssssmell my own kind." His smirk didn't falter, and neither did his proximity. "You're a proud snake, aren't you?" Suzu smirked, and took off her short leather jacket. She turned it, and showed him the large emerald snake on the back. With its big glowing read eyes and vicious fangs.

"You could say that." He then looked to her shirt, and smirked even more.

"So you bite?"

"If agitated, yeah."

"Like any respectable snake."

"Of course."

"I like you." He got closer still, and put an arm around her shoulders. Although with his height, he then found he had to look down at her, but she actually seemed used to it. "Suzu, why don't we take a walk, and you can acquaint me with the story of how you became part of this family?"

"If I must, I suppose." But she was smirking. "And I like you to." Suzu put her bags down, and they walked through the house, leaving everyone else to stare after them.

"How the hell did _anyone_ hit it off with _him?_" Yuki looked boggled, and Takara giggled silently into her hands. This caught his attention, and he looked her over.

Brilliant golden blonde hair, dainty white summer dress that crumpled around her bust, spaghetti straps, white buckle shoes, white cardigan…

Yuki started to see a certain brunette in that dress, and had to shake his head to stop himself staring.

Takara blinked at him, wondering what that was all about, and shrugged it off with a smile.

_They all seem to be hitting it off around here. Yoko disappeared with that orange headed boy, Kano with Shigure San, and now Suzu with that Aayame person. Very strange, very dramatic._ She chuckled to herself. _Just Suzu's kind of person. But I will have to make an appearance…I wouldn't want anything to happen to her. I trust everyone else, because they are children like us. And Kano can handle anything, I've seen that. But can I really trust that other adult to behave around Suzu? Or vice versa? If he starts to flirt with her, he will get a lot more than he bargained for. And I don't mean a verbal insult. The last one lost all sensation in his pelvis area, if I am not mistaken._ She told herself that wasn't funny, and was a serious injury. But a smile curved on her lips all the same.

Out of the corner of her emerald eyes, she saw Yuki go upstairs, and Tohru started to pick up the shopping that had been so kindly dumped in the middle of the hallway.

Tohru opened the bags to see how they had been packed, looking for anything she would need to put in the fridge and freezer first, when a hand touched her shoulder.

"Oh, hello…Takara is it?" she nodded. "Oh, hello. Are you alright? Can I get you anything?" Tohru straightened up and dusted her purple skirt off, pulling the sleeves of her white turtleneck shirt over her wrists.

Takara smiled, shook her head, and proceeded to lift a few bags up with a huff. She could tell Tohru was shopping for a full house of growing men. How much shopping did she need? "Oh Takara, you don't need to do that." She smiled with a chuckle, trying to take the bags off her.

But Takara shook her head again with a smile, and simply headed off to the kitchen. Tohru in pursuit.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

_from when Kano was guided into the kitchen…_

"I didn't ask to see the kitchen." he smirked at Shigure. He scratched the back of his messy head of hair, and smiled nervously.

"No, but I _needed_ an escape. Thank you for playing along Kano. Oh, do you mind me calling you that? Or would you prefer Mr Fukazawa?"

"It _would_ be Fukazawa sensei, but I would like it very much if you called me Kano." Shigure raised a brow, making Kano blush slightly. "Everyone else does." He added.

"Well then Kano, I would like to compliment you for surrounding your sister Suzu with such interesting and good _friends_."

"Ah."

"Oh yes Mr Kano, I have sniffed out your little secret. Travelling with three sisters _does_ sound more innocent than travelling with one sister, and two other girls…" but smirked. "Oh you fiend."

"I confess, we are actually a travelling brothel show on our way to the nearest red light district. I am hoping to bring in a good crowd of paying customers before the end of winter." He placed his palm over his head and pretended to swoon against the table.

Shigure laughed his head off. No one had recuperated after one of his humorous jokes like that before! And to turn it round like that! Usually they just smirked or laughed (Aayame) rolled their eyes and frowned into one hand (Hatori) or blushed madly and denied it (everyone else). No one had played along before.

Then he got this strange sensation. It was like something in his chest was being tugged towards the younger man. Something…deep. Familiar. Something he liked. Before he knew it, he found he was _actually_ physically closer to him, gazing deep into his eyes.

Kano gulped at the sudden closeness, blinking his dark magenta eyes against the intent gaze of grey brown ones. And something else caught his attention.

Shigure had him trapped against the table.

"A ha! I _knew_ there was a reason I liked you." Shigure stood back normally again, feeling a link between them and finally knowing what it was. "You were born in the year of the Dog, weren't you?"

Kano blinked, wondering what relevance that had. But in actual truth…

"Yeah, I was. 1989."

"That makes you 24?" he smiled. "Interesting."

"Really?" for a moment both men looked at each other, sizing the other up and calculating what the best move to take next would be.

"You know, Yoko and Tohru had a wonderful idea. Since you have been driving for so long, and you _must _be tired, I've agreed that you should all stay for dinner."

"But it's still morning."

"And your point is?" He smirked.

"Is that a _formal _invitation, or a suggestion?" Shigure simply smirked. "Or do I have any say in the matter?" Kano leaned back against the kitchen table with his hip, and folded his arms over his tracksuit jacket.

"I already said to Yoko you could stay. She seemed thrilled." He then laughed. "As did Kyo. He just about challenged her to a 'duel' in the back garden as soon as he heard she would be staying for a while. She was eager too. You know, I've never met anyone who seemed as obsessed with martial arts as Kyo before. But I bet Yoko can match him blow for blow. Am I right?" _well, I suppose Haru is close, but he has to go dark Haru first, and he isn't even sane then. _

"Well, I have personally seen her competitions and she has a really _really _mean right fist." He reminisced to the ceiling. "I had a bruise on my gut for about two weeks after I made the mistake of saying she could practice on me. I wondered why Suzu was so eager, she probably knew what she could do." Both men laughed. _Too bad she couldn't have knocked her Dad about a bit, might have stopped him from…_ he cleared his throat. "Well, on behalf of the group, we would _love_ to have dinner with the Sohma family." He paused. "And Ms Honda." Shigure nodded, and leaned over on the table with the small of his back, and his elbows on the table, _very_ lose to where Kano was leaning.

"Actually, Ms Nakamura let slip that you were _quite_ the chief in the kitchen." he said slyly.

Kano chuckled and smiled right at him, Shigure getting that little bit closer.

"I'm a bachelor living with my kid sister, who manages to burn everything she touches until it is no longer fit for human consumption. I had to adapt."

"Is she that bad?"

"She burnt milk once. Milk, burnt."

"Ha! She would fit in here just fine then. Only Tohru knows how to cook here." He then bowed his head. "Present company excluded, of course."

Kano opened his mouth with a smirk, about to ask about _his_ culinary skills, but turned to see Takara walk in with Tohru.

"-but you are the guests! You haven't let me lift a finger since we met, and I really need to make it up to you. You don't need to do this. It was just a map."

"And breakfast." Kano added, catching on to the conversation. _But why is my being 24 interesting?_ He couldn't help but wonder. "Speaking of which, I am _starved._"

"Oh, I will get your breakfast right away! Let me cook it!" Tohru pleaded with bright blue eyes. "Waffles and fruit right?"

"The fruit is for Takara, and I see no problem in you making our breakfast." Tohru made a move to get on with it. "On the condition you let me cook dinner." Shigure closed his eyes and nodded with approval.

"But-"

"Oh please Tohru I insist." Kano swerved over to her with his most dashing smile and snaked his arm around her waist like it was natural. "I won't take no for an answer."

"Oh, my." Kano then pulled the biggest puppy dog face and pouted with his bottom lip out. Takara sweatdropped, rolled her eyes and frowned into one hand, and Shigure fell over comically, muffling his chuckles in his hand.

"Oh, well, if you really want to then-"

"Perfect!" Kano hugged her head to his chest, and then left her swiftly to raise a brow at Shigure, who was still on the floor. "Are you quite done?" but he was smirking.

"Yes, wait, chuckle, there, done." Shigure got to his feet again, and brushed his grey kimono off. "Right, what is there to do now…"

"Map?" Kano asked.

"What? Now? no, later. After dinner later."

"But-"

"Come, I'll show you my office. Tohru said you had money trouble, yes?"

"Yes, the guy in the shop said my Yen was 'fake'." Shigure started to leave the kitchen, leading Kano after him helplessly.

"Well, I have a friend…"

They were both gone, leaving Tohru and Takara to transport the bags from the hallway, to the kitchen.

"Oh, I can't remember writing down to get 6 tubs of rice." Tohru cocked her head to one side and put a finger on her chin in thought. Takara reached into the open bag and peaked off a red sticker. It said 'buy one get one free' in bold yellow sale letters. "Oh, I forgot all about the sale. We got twice as much as normal thanks to the sale." Tohru beamed at her with a bright smile. "Great minds think alike." She giggled, and Takara smiled back warmly. They were quiet all while they unpacked all the hopping, and Takara got on with taking the rice into the store cupboard, while Tohru started cooking waffles.

"…and Yoko, the other girl I came with, ran off to the back garden after that orange head."

"Kyo."

"Yeah, that one." Suzu and Aayame had found themselves walking out the house entirely and walking in the woods.

It was strange, how comfortable she felt with him. Their arms 'snaked' around each other's slim waists as they walked together, quite innocently, and Suzu had no problem talking to him in the slightest.

And even better! He hadn't flirted with her outrageously, at all!

"And the rest is history, isn't it my dear?"

"Yep. And now we get down to business." She looked through her ruffled midnight fringe at him, and saw his golden eyes glimmer at her.

"Oh? Business?" He tried to sound innocent.

"Yeah, like the _real_ reason you brought me away from the house and everyone else, smooth talked yourself to getting me comfortable and talkative, and warm up to you. _So."_ Suzu stopped, and Aayame stopped with her. But they didn't take their arms back.

"And so my plot as been uncovered." Aayame chuckled behind one hand very femininely. "How did you know I wanted more than to converse with you on how you arrived here?"

"Remember when you said you could 'sssssmell' your own kind?" she turned into him, noticing him step back ever so slightly and look down the very small gap between their torsos. But she brushed that aside. Suzu then leaned up on her top toes, one arm around his waist still and holding his other hip, and her other hand over his hand, on _her_ hip. She got so close, her lips were inches from his. "I can ssssmell my own kind to. I know you are up to something, because I know I would be up to something if I offered a 'little stroll' and a conversation as boring as 'how did you get here?'" She then smirked and dropped back to her feet, moving his arm around her shoulders, and keeping her arm where it was.

"Ah, I can not trick a trickster, it seems."

"Yep, now spill it."

"Very well." He cleared his throat. "How you noticed the 'tension' between dear Yuki and myself?"

"You mean the daggers speeding across the room at the speed of light?"

"Ah…yes. I will not pretend that our past history has been the typical ones of brothers, but I fully intend to breach the gap between by dearest brother Yuki and form a bond with him so strong, the GODS will be jealous!" he fluttered his eyes dreamily, like that was all he wanted.

"And so…? Where do _I _come into this?" she saw his eyes focus on her again, golden and gleaming with a million schemes brewing in their depths.

"You, _my dear Suzu_, come in here, in the home of my brother and child hood friend Shigure…and Kyo I suppose…" he lifted her chin and smirked down at her. "I _intend_ for you to aid me improve my dear brother's love life. As I do not _yet_ have a bond with him, he will not allow me to _assist_ him in any way."

"Are you talking about Ms Sunshine?"

"Is it not obvious how she unknowingly intoxicates his every breathing moment!" he said dramatically. "Oh, oh woe is me. Unable to even give him any brotherly advice on the matter."

"And you want me to?" she still had her eyebrow raised, not liking the sound of this.

"I want _you_, a fellow snake, to act as the hand of _divine intervention_."

"No."

"No?" he blinked at her.

"No, _you_ want me to be a kick up the backside and the one to _shove_ them together until they wake up one day in the same bed, wondering why it took so long." She blinked at him boredly. "Am I right?"

"My dear." He grinned, cupping her cheek and leaning closer. "it seems we are not only on the same page, but authors of the same book."

"Well." She bumped her hip into his, both turning to walk back to the house. "We _are_ both snakes."

"Indeed."

"And I will see what I can do in a few hours."

"I have the sneaking suspicion my dear, you will be spending more than a few hours in this delightful house."

"Huh?" she raised a brow, before Aayame grabbed her shoulders forcedly, and yanked her into an embrace.

POOF!

……………

……………

……………

"HOLY SHIT!"

_From the moment Kyo and Yoko entered the garden._

"Alright Ms Nakamura, let's dance." Kyo jumped back, and lowered into his favoured stance. His right foot back, his left forward, and his left hand up for defence and judging distance. A grin like you could never believe was plastered over his face, and it didn't look like it would be budging any time soon.

Nor did the mirror image grin on Yoko's face.

She loved this, the thrill of the challenge, the opportunity to test her opponent, and herself.

Yoko mirrored his stance, literally, her right arm forward and her left foot back. They stood about a meter apart, and waited, judging up the other fighter. "You stance is quite interesting. Are you taking an offensive strategy?"

"And why would I tell you that?" Kyo chuckled, and inched closer. Yoko smirked, and did the same. "Ready to go down, Kyo-kun?"

"I'm no boy." He stated smugly. "All man."

"Ooo, all man huh? Figures you would have an ego to match your large head."

"Ooo, tough talk. Them there's fighting words." He lowered even more, calculating his next move.

"What else can I do when you're too chicken to attack me?" she winked at him. This was usually a good ploy to use in competitions, to either unnerve or falsely reassure your opponent, and throwing off their guard. But it didn't seem to be working on Kyo.

_She wants me to attack first?_ He raised a brow. _But her stance is offensive. Shouldn't she want to attack first? Unless she plans to counter it somehow…_ "Hurry up, I want to fight, not stand around and chat." _You are not going to anger me into tripping your trap Yoko._

"I might not want to attack you first. You'll have to attack _me_." But before he could blink, she had done just that.

Yoko had closed the gap and brought her left leg round with such a force, it swept both his feet from beneath him and sent him back to the ground. Yoko placed her foot on his chest, smirking though her rebellious cinnamon fringe and fixing her high ponytail. Her amber eyes twinkled with mirth, and she wagged her finger at him, although he couldn't see her finger from her long olive green sleeve.

"Be careful what you wish for, you just might get it." Yoko yelped as Kyo grabbed her ankle from his chest, twisted his body and brought her down to the floor with him. Yoko faced him, and was greeted with a fist barely touching the end of her nose.

"Be careful when giving advice, when you should be watching your opponent's next move."

"Touché." Both rolled away and sprang to their feet. "Time to get serious?"

"Yes, it is." And their giddy facades vanished, leaving an exterior of focus. Kyo let off a mighty yell, before charging right at her. Yoko stood her ground, and waited.

She caught his right fist and pushed it with her left, away from its intended target, her stomach, and hooked her right fist round. He ducked down, barely, and used his lower position to bring his right leg up to thrust his knee into her side. Yoko grunted painfully, not one to give her opponent the satisfaction of hearing her scream or yelp, but crippled over, recoiling from his attack. His knee had successfully tenderised all the muscle just under her ribs. She had to fight the urge to concave her body over to protect it. _Fuck!_ It stung.

When she stepped away from him and held her side, pain written clearly across her scowling face, Kyo became worried. Yuki and Haru were guys who knew how to take a hit. Was he so eager for a new opponent, that he forgot Yoko was just a girl? Had he gone to far? "Yoko? Do you want to stop?"

"Ha". She panted. He had really knocked the wind out of her. "If you think (pant) that that's the worst hit I've ever had, you'd be very much mistaken." She forced her hand away from her throbbing side, and lowered back into a stance.

"I think we should stop." _Fuck, I can't believe I got so carried away. She hasn't even hit me yet. She obviously isn't as good as she said she is._

"_I_ don't." Yoko's amber eyes were still twinkling. She hadn't lost interest in the fight yet, she seemed eager to continue. Kyo sighed. _If I knock her about a bit more, maybe then she will see she isn't good enough to fight me._

This was a disappointment for Kyo. He thought this could have been a chance to try his technique with a new style of fighter. But he was wrong, it seemed. He didn't even lower into his stance, he just stood there.

This infuriated Yoko. _Why isn't he taking me seriously anymore! It was just one hit! I'm not done yet!_ She growled angrily, and charged at _him_ instead. Kyo misread this as an act of desperation, and put his hands in his pockets to side step her.

_Too easy_. He thought.

But at the last second, he only just got his arms up to block a round house kick, and push her back. His red eyes were open wide with shock. If that had hit him…_fuck!_ Yoko's confidence rose with his obvious look of surprise, and went in for the kill. She flicked out one of her long legs, sneakily hidden beneath baggy brown combats, and drove an Ura Mawashi kick, hooking for the side of his head.

Kyo stepped to the side and blocked with his forearm…

…leaving his body right open.

Yoko used the momentum Kyo had helped her to create with her leg falling down to the ground, to coil her left arm back, and hurl her tight fist deep into _his_ gut.

Kyo stumbled back gasping for air, which was currently knocked out of him. He cradled his stomach, swearing blind he could still feel the imprint of her hand there.

Yoko jumped back, ignoring the pain that combination had caused in her side. _Damn him. Damn boney elbows._ But she was chuckling. No one had gotten through her defence like that before in a long time.

Kyo was a third stunned, a third winded brutally, and a third impressed. Yeah, so the damn rat had hit him like that too, but this was different. Kyo had seriously brushed her off as noting, but she stood up to him and made her abilities known, stuck it right to him.

_Kinda like me and Yuki._ He then chuckled breathlessly.

"Good move."

"Thanks. You're not bad yourself." Both fighters had landed a hit on the other, making the score 1 apiece.

"Time for the deciding round." Kyo licked his lips and brought his fists back into their guarding position. Yoko did the same, and their eyes connected once again.

Amber on Red.

They stood still, gathering their strength silently whilst observing the other for any sign of weakness. With a soft chirp of a bird, they sprang like potent coils, crashing into each other with blow after blow of furious punches, and relentless kicks.

Gak

Blocked.

Upper cut.

Blocked.

Knee thrust.

Blocked.

Trebble fist.

Blocked.

Roundhouse kick.

Grabbed, and span round for a surprise attack.

Dodged.

It went like this, both Yoko and Kyo panting heavily and using their thirst for battle and adrenaline as fuel. Neither relented, neither showed any sign of stopping.

And then Yoko panicked.

Kyo managed to somehow interlock his fingers with her, and started pushing her backwards.

_Shit! I can't grapple!_ But that didn't mean she was about to give in. instead, she grit her teeth and pushed her entire upper body forward, trying to use the imbalance of weight to push him back. Because she _knew_, if he got her to the floor, she would be helpless. Her art didn't do floor work, and grappling was an illegal technique at her competitions. It looked fun, but she didn't know how to do it.

If this fight went to the floor, she was done for.

Kyo vaguely registered that her chest was getting closer to his, but in the heat of battle, he thought nothing off it.

He had gotten into stalemates with Haru, and close calls with Yuki (before he was beaten), and saw this situation to being just like those.

He didn't even register than her being a girl, and him being a cursed Sohma Zodiac member, with her chest getting closer to his, as bad. He was actually looking quite forward to feeling the pressure of her body in the struggle, so he could push back for more leverage. Because truth be told, his wrists were starting to hurt from the angle Yoko had forced them into. They staggered around on the spot, both trying to turn the table in their favour, when-

"HOLY SHIT!"

Kyo snapped his body towards the trees in the wood, still holding Yoko's hands in his, pulled her twisted body into his with the sudden jerked movement, and…

POOF.

Yoko stumbled for her balance, her arms suddenly being empty. As a reaction to the sudden movement and her aching side, she wrapped her arms around herself almost instantly after being surrounded by a sudden cloud of smoke. But she couldn't remember there being any smoke machines or cigarettes anywhere, and it didn't smell like cigarettes.

When her arms wrapped around her as much as they could, she felt she was holding something _else_, not her middle.

The smoke cleared, and her amber eyes widened.

The black T shirt, the green utility trousers and black belt, the trainers. They were all cluttered around her feet, and she looked to the fury, breathing, orange bundle in her arms.

Upon close inspection, it was an orange cat with the cutest pair of red eyes she had ever seen. At first she smiled like a little girl, loving animals, when she made a shocking connection.

Kyo has orange hair, the cat has orange hair.

Kyo has red eyes, the cat has red eyes.

Kyo disappeared, leaving his clothes, and the cat appeared.

Kyo vanished…the cat appeared…

"BLOODY HELL!" She yelled, stepping back, despite still holding 'Kyo' in her arms.

While she stared at him, she heard a crash from inside the house, in one of the top rooms, and blinked madly at the cat.

He knew, somehow, he just _knew_, Yoko knew the truth.

"Look Yoko, I-"

"AH! You spoke!" she gulped. "And you're a cat!" she looked around in panic, as if hoping someone would come and tell her everything she saw, _hadn't _happened. "Oh God, I'm so sorry! Did _I_ do this!"

"Well…_kinda_…but-"

"Shit!" Kyo blushed madly when Yoko held him tight to her chest with one arm curved round him, and started to fist at his clothes with the other hand. _Wow, are there breasts under here?_ Kyo blushed even more, finding his head and become nestled between the two large mounds. _With all that baggy clothing, she didn't look like she had any!_ And the cat head, went red. "Fuck. How? But, just how?"

"Listen, don't panic!" he begged.

"Fuck that! If this is the highway of panic, I just turned off onto the free way of hysterical!" she then looked around again, ignoring Kyo's protests to be put down. "What to do, what to do…Kano! He will sort this out!"

"What? No! No one else can know! Wait, stop damn it-" but he was ignored.

_With Tohru and Takara in the kitchen._

"Takara, could you ask Yuki if he wants anything to eat? I know it is hard work at his school meetings. I wouldn't want him to get too hungry before dinner."

Without thinking (on both accounts it seems), Takara stopped what she was doing and went to look for Yuki.

With Yoko, Kano, and especially Suzu, Takara could get across to them what she needed to say or ask as easily as saying it. They had known each other for so long.

But as soon as she opened Yuki's bedroom door…and saw him looking at her expectantly…

She realised what a mistake she made.

"Can I help you? Takara, isn't it?" Yuki put his minutes folder down on his desk from the meeting, and walked closer to her.

But she didn't say anything.

It was as if she _couldn't_ say anything. "Takara?"

She took a deep breath. _I can't just rely on using Suzu to talk for me all my life. I am a big girl, 18 years old. I need to do this. _ She then looked to Yuki with determination, before walking right up to him. "…Takara?"

She first picked up the folder, opened it, and pointed to his meeting agenda. "A Pink common room?" Takara then read what she pointed to with a raised blonde brow, and then tried again. She pointed to the word meeting. "Meeting? Oh, _my_ meeting." She nodded frantically. She then started to fan herself with her hands, like it was really hot, and then knock on the door. _Come on, hard, I'm trying to say hard, work._ "Erm…open a door?"

Yuki didn't know what this girl wanted, and he really wasn't in the mood for this. The arrival of his brother always made him escape from the rest of the house (and him) and always, always put him in a more than agitated mood.

More like a fowl mood.

But he never let it show, wearing his polite smile and blanking his emotions from everyone.

_Except Tohru. I never have been able to hide my feelings from her. And she always cheers me up._ A smile, a real one, traced his lips, before he focused on Takara again.

And she was now jogging on the spot. "I really can't be playing charades, I have a lot of work to do and-" Takara pointed at him vigorously. "What? was it something I said?" she nodded. "Erm…" the sight of Takara looking at him so desperately, and urgently was really unnerving. "I think I'll just have erm, pass." He hoped that would get this strange girl away from him.

_Why won't she just say it?_

Takara was getting no where, and she knew it. She bit her bottom lip and ran a hand through her hair. _What now?_ she then looked to the folder, and slapped her head. _Der, of course! Write it down!_ She then proceeded to grab Yuki's hand, with a few protests, ignored that he seemed to be keeping his body as far from hers as possible by walking side ways on, and dragged him over to his desk to look for a pen and paper. She finally found a single sheet of paper, and a pen. But his desk was cluttered with his school stuff, and she really didn't want to move anything important. And she couldn't ask him to move it, obviously.

So instead, she quickly pressed the sheet of paper against Yuki's chest and started to write.

Yuki was sweating buckets by this point.

_One false move and she might hug me. I pray to any God up there that nothing happens to make either of us slip or turn. Please don't let anything happen._

Takara was just finished off, when-

"HOLY SHIT!" echoed from the woods near the house, and all through the house. Closely followed by a noise that sounded even closer saying-

"BLOODY HELL!"

And it all seemed to happen in slow motion.

Yuki snapped towards the window in alarm.

Takara, startled, covered her hands over her head, leaving her entire body wide open.

Yuki's body was still twisting as he tripped over his own feet.

And what do you know, the unthinkable happened.

POOF

Takara was left in Yuki's room, white cloud like smoke dissipating all around her, alone, with something clinging for dear life to the front of her dress…

If she could have, Takara would have screamed as she saw a fluffy grey rat with purple eyes gripping desperately to her dress between her breasts. She calmed her breathing and cupped the little rat in her hands. _poor little guy, he looks so scared…wait…where's Yuki?_ She looked down at the floor in front of her. _Wasn't he just wearing those…Yuki is either capable of spontaneous declothing…or…_ Takara looked to the rat, raising her cupped hands in line with her nose.

It was plain obvious to Yuki she had drawn together all the necessary dots to create quite the accurate picture from the way she was looking at him.

"Now please, _don't scream._" And she didn't.

she just jumped nearly into the roof of his bedroom, still holding him, and bumped upon landing smack bang into his desk, sending his inbox outbox tray crashing to the floor.

"CRASH!"

_Just coming out of Shigure's office…_

"…so you see, your money isn't _fake, _it's just out of circulation. The Yen you're carrying is old money, where the new Yen has different markings on them." Shigure chuckled, placing his hand on Kano's back. "The only thing they are good for, are selling to someone who collects ancient or out of commission coins."

"Well, that explains it. I knew there had to be a logical explanation why my money wasn't acceptable." Kano smiled, glad some part of this shambles had been cleared up. His stomach growled, and he smiled upon entering the kitchen. "MMmmm, waffles." He licked his lips at the sweet scent of cooked waffles consumed him, joined loosely by the smell of melted chocolate and syrup.

Shigure saw him wet his lips, and had to look the other way. "That smells _delectable_, Tohru. My, you are just wonderful, you know that?" Kano wrapped an arm around her waist, and held their hips together. A dashing, and alluring smile graved his lips and his dark magenta eyes twinkled. "We will have to get together some time and see what we can 'cook up'." Tohru blushed profusely, dropping the spatula she was flipping the waffles with. Kano then laughed, and looked over to Shigure, who seemed to be looking away from them both. "I'll just go call the girls and-"

"HOLY SHIT!"

"BLOODY HELL!"

"CRASH!"

Kano, Tohru, and Shigure sweat dropped. The three thought very different things concerning what the sounds could be.

Tohru: _oh I hope no one got hurt! If Yuki and Kyo got too rough and went too far, I would never forgive myself for not being there to stop them! Please be ok!_

Kano: _if Suzu has broken something, or someone again, I swear I'll have to retire early from the shame._ He frowned into both his hands with a whine. _After all these nice, good people have done for us, Suzu has insulted Shigure and might have broken something. And knowing my luck, it'll be expensive!_

Shigure: _oh no, I heard a crash!_ He didn't seem at all bothered about the two shouting voices before hand. _The main house won't pay for any damages or the insurance for the house anymore thanks to those two rascals!_ He whimpered with watery puppy dog eyes._ I'll have to pay for the damage myself, and cancel my monthly order of 'Maid Mandy' and 'Dirty Donna' R rated mangas to pay for it…_cries_ how will I live if I don't find out if Dirty Donna decided to strip tease Corny, or if Maid Many dusted her racks with her blue thong, or red French undies?_

All were distraught, and were soon greeted by the makers of the noises, last, to first.

Takara bumbled into the kitchen, holding something in her cupped hands for all to see that made Shigure sweat drop, and stop breathing.

There, in her hands, was Yuki.

IN HIS RAT FORM!

"Takara, what are you doing with that mouse?"

"Rat." Shigure corrected, behind one hand and looking away from his gaze.

_Well this isn't good._ Shigure thought, and looked to Tohru. She had just taken the pan off the hob, and seen Yuki in Takara's hands.

"O, er, oh!" she said nervously. "Y you found my dear pet!" she hurried forward, and tried to take Yuki from her. But the determined blonde stepped back, and used her height advantage to hold Yuki out of Tohru's reaching grasp. She shook her head at them all, and started to mine words directly at Kano.

_He_ could understand her.

"…what do you mean he spoke?" both Shigure and Tohru froze solid.

"What? Spoke? A rat? No, impossible!" Tohru insisted, reaching up for Yuki.

Poor Yuki. Throughout this, he was getting rather motion sick from being manhandled like this. It was time to make a stand.

"T Tohru." He said groggily, not feeling very well. "She knows."

"Yuki, Yuki, Yuki". Shigure shook his head with every word. "Why will you not think before you speak? Before, we could have denied it and pieced things back together, but _now_." he threw his hands up, brought them back to run through his hair, and turned his back. "I'll ring Hato-"

"KANO!" Yoko scuttled into the kitchen. Literally.

"HAY! WATCH it! Do you _want_ to make me throw up a hairball?" Shigure whimpered, turned to face the inevitable, and buried his face in his hands.

"Kano I don't know what I did but I did it and all I did was get pulled against him and then we were surrounded by smoke and Kyo vanished and left his clothes, but he didn't because he turned into a cat and here he is and I don't know how to change him back and I really really didn't mean to do it!" Yoko panted, waiting expectantly for the mature Kano to rescue her from her predicament. Kano looked to her, seeing she was serious, and with the voice coming from the cat's lips he heard only moments before…he believed her.

Takara nodded her head furiously, and shoved Yuki back into his line of view. Letting him know that was just about _exactly_ what had happened to her.

"Not another one! Kyo, you are as bad as Yuki! Why couldn't you keep your mouth shut! Now they will _never_ think this I the result of sleep deprivation or ventriloquism!" he moaned, exasperated.

But Yoko was jogging on the spot, thrusting her arms forward and shaking the orange cat, Kyo, like a rag doll, for Kano's inspection.

"Stop that! I'm gonna hurl!" he hissed.

Kano leaned forward, settled his dark magenta eyes on Yuki, who huddled into Takara's hands, and then to Kyo, who was now being held still. Kyo sweat dropped, not liking the examination he was getting.

"Yuki?" he pointed to the rat, looking at Takara. She nodded. "Kyo?"

"A huh, a huh!" Yoko nodded, wired with panic still.

"And they turned into animals?"

"When I bumped into him."

"Hugged, it's when our torso's touched."

"Kyo!" Shigure barked. "NOT helping!"

"What? she saw, she knows, what can I do?" He pouted, and Yoko held him more comfortably in her arms. "Purrr, much better."

"S Sorry." She stuttered, looking at him gingerly. "I didn't mean to."

"I forgive you." he said smugly.

"Stupid cat." Yuki spat."

"What was that for, ya damn rat!" the hair on the back of his neck stood up, and he hissed to Yuki. Yuki's rounded purple eyes elevated with the raising of a sarcastic brow, and he sighed, boredly.

"For you being a _total_ idiot."

"You got yourself hugged first!"

"I didn't go into an explanation and _worsen_ the situation, like _you_ just did."

"Damn rat, let me at him!" Kyo hissed angrily, struggling in Yoko's teddy hold to claw at Yuki. But Takara, conscious for his safety, had cupped Yuki to her chest and turned with her shoulder to shield him. Yuki stuck his tongue out at him, and Kyo just hissed even more.

"You loser."

"When I get my hands on you!"

"Get your hands on who Kyo?" Suzu walked in, and leaned with her hip against the door frame. Much like her brother likes to.

"Yuki! That damn rat!"

Then there was silence, and Yuki rolled his eyes.

"You idiot."

"Shut up!"

"Leave him alone Yuki, I already knew it was you." everyone swung their heads round at the calm headed, cool and collected Suzu.

A _very_ scary combination.

They then noticed she had a certain silver accessory the Sohma's knew all too well…

"Aayame! You too!" Shigure pined. "I can't even leave _you_ alone with a girl and you go and reveal yourself! And the rest of us, might I add!" he barked at the snake, who was perfectly content with Suzu scratching his chin lightly.

"MMmmmm sssssso nicccce."

"Like that?"

"Oh Yessss. More to the left, pleasssse." She did. "Mmmmmm." If he was a cat, he would be purring.

Speaking of cats.

"Ha! Your damn brother got himself hugged too!"

"Oh the shame…" Yuki sighed.

"So I am guessing this is a Sohma thing." Kano spoke at last, and seemed just as calm as Suzu about this. "A hug, and you change? Right? With all Sohmas?"

"Well-"

"Like you?"

"Well I-"

"Right." Kano pulled on Shigure's robes and yanked him into a tight embrace. Everyone sweat dropped when nothing happened, and Shigure blushed madly like a tomato. And so did Kano, at being proven wrong. "Erm, I thought-"

"I know." They slowly pulled out of the hug, neither looking at the other man. _Well this is embarrassing. _"It only works with the other gender. "You could hug any of the boys, and nothing happen. But when the girls hug a male Sohma-"

"They get in touch with their wild side." Suzu said with a cocky smirk. "Am I right?"

"Yesss, clever girl."

"Shut up Aayame, ya big girl!" Kyo hissed.

"Now Kyo, that isn't very nice." Tohru said softly, looking to Takara again. "…can I take Yuki now?" Takara blinked at her with emerald eyes, having to think before she realised she wanted the rat in her hands. It was all so bizarre! People turning into animals. _But fascinating on a scientific front. Do their body parts simultaneously compress themselves? Is the transformation triggered on a cellular level? Or is it the hormones and pheromones from the opposite sex in close contact that stimulates the response?_

Yuki really didn't like the way Takara was looking at him, like she was mentally dissecting him bit by bit.

"Tohru." He called, and scampered to the edge of Takara's fingertips, and jumped into Tohru's waiting arms. It felt right to be there, snuggled up against Tohru's underappreciated bosom…

"So what do we do now? Swear an oath of allegiance to the Sohma household? Or write it in blood?" Suzu asked as if she had simply remarked on the weather.

"BLOOD? NO!" Yoko squeaked. "I am giving NO blood!"

"Same here!"

"No one asked _you_." Suzu glared at him, her steely pink magenta eyes putting him in his place. So very, very familiar…

"Humph." Kyo sulked. "If ya gonna hold me, at least hold me properly." Yoko blinked at him, and then nodded. She couldn't believe this was Kyo, a human, a boy, the same guy she was fighting with moments ago.

A cheeky smirk tugged at the corner of her lips.

"I suppose I win our fight then." She waited, and was rewarded.

"WHAT!"

"Well, it's only right. Victory on account of feline metamorphosis." It was just strange. With all the tension and worry she had built up, mixed in with the gob smacking surreal news of their…erm… 'condition'….all she could do was laugh!

"Grrrrr."

"I thought you were a cat? Not a dog." Kyo hissed at her teasing, blushing madly. "Awww, I bet you're just a cuddly widdle kitty cat really."

"Hay, wait, what are you doing!" Yoko turned him onto his back, curved one arm to support him along his spine, and tickled his stomach and chest with an impish grin on her face.

"Who's a widdle kitty cat? _Kyo's_ a widdle kitty cat."

"I swear, HA, if you don't (laugh), stop that right now, I'm gonna (louder laugh)." But he was unable to finish his failing threat, from her relentless tickles. Yuki sniggered, loving how Kyo could manage to laugh, _and_ blush from his furious embarrassment at the same time. And from anger, thanks to his taunting laugh.

"I never knew you could multitask Kyo. Embarrassing yourself, _and_ being embarrassed about it at the same time. Well done, stupid cat." He chuckled.

"Yuki…that was mean." Tohru frowned, and suddenly Yuki felt his 2 inches.

"Tohru I didn't-"

"AAAA!" Shigure toppled over as Suzu saw fit to run at him, Aayame coiled around a potted plant and watching in mirth as Shigure was hugged, and POOF.

Suzu stood hugging a large greyish black dog and looking to Kano.

"Ah, so it _is_ all Sohmas. Thought so."

"Then why did you hug me if you knew that already!" Shigure sweat dropped at her calm face. She shrugged.

"Just to check I guess."

"You guess?"

"A huh." Suzu then turned to her brother. "Hold." Kano found himself struggling for balance as the large dog was _thrown_ at him, literally.

"Hay! I may be a dog but you don't need to treat me like one! I'll call animal cruelty hotline!" He said dramatically. And Kano chuckled.

"Oh yes, straight on to the RSPCA." Aayame added, as Suzu retrieved him and put him back around her neck.

Yuki and Kyo looked outrage.

"This is no time for joking around!" Kyo hissed, and then continued to purr as Yoko bounced him like a baby gently, and clawed at his back like she would the neighbour's cat. And Kyo seemed to approve greatly. "A little more to the left. Ah, that's it." His purring deepened.

"The stupid cat's right for once. 4 more people now know of the curse!"

"Chill out." Suzu said simply, as if he was blowing the situation out of proportion. "I'm not about to sell you all to the circus. Though at the moment, we could probably use the money." She chuckled when his eyes almost bugged out of his head. "Hello? Kidding?"

"…not funny."

"Ok, so let me just recap everything here." Kano spoke over them all, stopping their bickering. "All the men in your family are cursed to turn into animals every time a girl 'hugs' them?"

"And the girls change when men outside the family touch them." Shigure added. Kano lowered him to sit on his hind legs, and knelt next to him. He didn't even want to think what he looked like right now, listening intently to a talking dog. "But only the zodiac Sohmas. Not _all_ the family."

"So only 12 of you change?" Yoko did the math. "_Just_ into Zodiac animals? Then what the hells is your excuse!" she looked down at the Kyo, who stopped purring when she stopped stroking him and stuck up her brow at him quizzically. Meanwhile Kano whispered to Shigure.

"So Aayame knew that Suzu was born in the year of the snake. Did he knew the same way you knew I was born in the year of the dog?"

"I could sense it. I can tell who are _Dogs_ and who are not." There was something else in that, but Kano didn't recognise it for what it was. He just laughed.

"I'm the cat, _der_." He rolled his eyes.

"Erm, the cat isn't in the Zodiac, _der_." Yoko retorted, and Kyo scowled.

"I would have been if it wasn't for that stupid rat!"

"Come again?" Yoko blinked, trying to ignore that Kyo was hissing and trying to struggle to claw at Yuki again.

"Oh, I was confused at first too." Tohru chuckled. "Before the Zodiac calendar was created, the Zodiac animals were the Dragon, Rat, Horse, Rooster, Monkey, Dog, Rabbit, Snake, Ox, Boar, Sheep, Tiger, _and_ the Cat. And they were all invited by the Gods to a great feast in their honour."

"But the fucking rat told the cat the feast wasn't until the following day and left him to sleep while the rest of the Zodiac animals went to the feast and Honour the Gods. The Cat was punished for his dishonour, and kicked out of the Zodiac." Kyo spat, all his hatred for Yuki bubbling over and made him bare his fangs murderously at the rat. Yoko was actually quite aware of this, and took a step further _away_ from Yuki, who looked blissfully unaware.

Or he just didn't give a damn. "_That's_ why the Cat isn't in the Zodiac, even though it was one of the original blessed animals, and apart of the Sohma curse. My life has been a living hell thanks to that damn rat, and one day I'm going to beat the living DAYLIGHTS out of that BAS-" Kyo's hissing mouth was covered abruptly by Yoko.

"And we all lived happily ever after." She said nervously. "So that is why your family is cursed to turn into animals, _I think_." In truth she knew the how, and some background, but she still didn't understand the why. _Where their family like, involved with them in ancient times or something?_ She would have scratched her head, had she not been holding Kyo against her sternly. For Yuki's sake.

All the Sohma's sweat dropped when Shigure started panting, thumping his back foot on the floor and wagging his tail wildly behind him as Kano scratched behind his ears.

"OOoooooh yeah. Ruff, aooooooo." His tongue flopped out to one side, and he inclined his head into Kano's hand.

"Good boy, good boy." Kano scratched him more vigorously with a childish grin on his face.

Suzu raised a brow at him. "…what?"

"Nothing."

"Oh dear…" Aayame whispered to her. "I think you need to put me down now."

"Get out of here!" Yuki shouted to him, waving his little paws around in Tohru's hands. "For the love of God!"

"Why?" Suzu asked bluntly. Tohru blushed, and looked the other way. "Tohru?"

"Trust me, look away from Aayame after you put him down Suzu."

"Alright…" Takara didn't look away, curious if his transformation had another symptom. Yoko looked down at Kyo, who also looked the other way and looked very uncomfortable, regardless how she cradled him. Yuki buried his furry little face in his paws, and Shigure pushed his face against Kano's stomach, walking him backwards into the kitchen and around the corner.

"Shigure, wait-"

POOF

Suzu hadn't put him down quick enough, and now had a fully restored Aayame stood behind her, arms draped around her neck like he once was, and his silvery white hair fanned down at each side of her face.

Suzu's eyes were almost rolling out of her head they were open that wide. Her left eye was twitching, and her arms had bolted down by her sides, stiff. Her body looked like a lifelike mannequin, which might as well have had a sign around her neck saying, 'stepped out for a panic attack, be back once sanity has returned'.

But that would have been lying, because Suzu didn't _do_ sane.

"Oh, dear. You know, I never did get the hang of predicting when I would change back. Allsorts of things effect our changes you know. Stress, mental and physical, and of course the torso to torso contact. But you never knew just _when_ you'll change back." he laughed very camply, and rested his chin on her head quite comfortably, a clam smile on her face.

Oh if _only_ Suzu was as calm as he was about this.

Because she had just remembered that they had left his clothes back on the dirt path. And she _highly_ doubted they _grew_ a new set when they changed back.

Which means…

"Are you naked behind me?" she squeaked. Aayame blinked, raised his head to look down at himself, and returned it to its perch in her lush black locks. "Well?"

"Yes, I do believe I am." Everyone else in the room saw his soft smile twist into a very amused smirk.

"Oh, well in that case could you please GET THE HELL AWAY FROM ME AND PUT SOME FUCKING CLOTHES ON!" Suzu broke free of him and ran for freedom.

This however left him open for the whole room to see.

Eep!

Yuki jumped onto Tohru's face desperately, and made her stumble backwards into the chair where he fell onto her lap. The chair then collapsed backwards with Tohru on it, and sending Yuki flying up, and finally landing.

Between her breasts.

Kyo also jumped onto _Yoko's_ face, but wrapped all his four major limbs around her head and used his body to block her vision.

"PUT YOUR FUCKING CLOTHES ON AAYAME YOU STREAKING FUCKTARD!" Kyo hissed, holding on for dear life as Yoko flailed her arms out and staggered around the room. You name it, she bumped into it, until tripped over the couch arm and fell back onto the floor behind it. So they were out of sight, like Yuki had done for Tohru.

But just as she was falling…

POOF

It seems the stress of Aayame changing and their secret being discovered was too much stress on the Cat, and ended poor little Kyo's change timer, just when he really didn't need it to.

Yoko hit the floor, and growled as soon as she felt her face was free.

"Kyo you idiot! What was that…for?"

Her heart skipped a beat, as her amber eyes connected with normal sized red ones, barely noses apart. And they were almost touching too.

Both sets of eyes were wide, because they both knew what had happened.

"Oh shit."

Kyo had landed in what could have been the press-up position over Yoko's sprawled out body, except he was on his knees to. "Fuck."

"…Kyo…are you-"

"Yes."

"And you are still ontop of me?"

"Yes."

"Why?

"If I move-"

"Right of course." He could fall on her, NOT GOOD, or everyone would see him, EVEN WORSE.

_Wait, did I just say it would be better for him to fall on me naked, then let everyone see him? _

…

……

_No, impossible._

"Holy shit." _What else is gonna happen!_

But in the kitchen.

POOF

"AA!" Kano slapped his hands over his eyes. All he had been doing is sat on the floor, thanks to Shigure head butting him into the kitchen. The last thing he wanted was Kano to see Aayame in the nude.

For Kano's sake, _of course._ (AN: raises an eyebrow at Shigure. Yeah…right…)

He had only just guided him to side at the far side of the kitchen, on his backside with his back up against the counter, sat down to guard him and make him stay there 'till the coast was clear…

When he _himself_ changed back.

On his hands and knees, within touching distance of Kano, completely naked!

It didn't matter that Kano had respectfully covered his eyes, he had gotten a decent look at him anyway.

"Heh…heh." He chuckled nervously. "Some first impression huh?" was all Shigure could say.

Thankfully, Kano laughed whilst shaking his head behind his hands, and knelt up. He kept his eyes closed, as he unzipped his tracksuit jacket and pulled it off.

_Woof woof._ Shigure smirked at what he saw. A toned, leanly muscular body with slender hips, wide shoulders, firm pecks and what looked like a ripple of abdominals too.

Kano threw the jacket over him, and waited.

"You got that on yet?"

"Hold on." Shigure stood up, and tied the arms around his waist into a loose bow at the back. it covered his 'shame', and that was all that mattered. "Good enough. I'm covered where it counts."

"Good." Kano got to his feet, and opened his eyes.

_That kimono does absolutely no justice to him._ He was slightly taller than him, with a wider waist, but it looked great as his waist dipped in ever so slightly, giving him a more Herculean look. He looked like a Demi-God at least. He might not have trained muscles like he did, but he was still damn buff. He wondered if he ran… "…very good."

And then remembered he was staring. "Ahem." Kano cleared his throat, looking down and kicking himself mentally. _Way to go Kano. He must be as embarrassed as hell about this, and you just stared at him. Smooth._ "Is, erm." Another cough. "Is it over out there?"

"Let me see." Shigure might have been a dog, and he might be able to smell something coming from Kano he liked, but he was most _definitely _smirking like a fox. He turned suddenly, and looked over the side of the door. He then walked through the hallway door and looked round into the living room.

Kano almost squeaked in his throat as Shigure turned, showing him his firm ass quite clearly, and had to yank his own head to the side to protect himself from being A, caught looking, or B, caught looking and liking it. _Shit._ "Well." He chuckled. "Define over?"

Aayame was still stood in the nude in the middle of the living room, Tohru was on her back, with what looked like a frozen stuffed grey fur ball unwillingly nestled between her breasts, unnoticed as Tohru's head was spinning and seeing stars before her.

Suzu was hyperventilating, her hands on the windowsill and her head bent over, oblivious to the rest of the room.

Takara had a large blush on her face, but hadn't run off and hidden. She was 18 for God's sake. She wasn't a child. She just stood there patiently, holding her elbows with her eyes respectfully averted. Shigure had to give her her dos. She hadn't panicked like a headless chicken.

And he couldn't even _see_ Kyo and Yo…ko…_oh, there they are. Rascals._ Shigure muffled an evil snicker in his hand, and found it hard to contain himself.

A pair of bare, slightly tanned feet, and one set of white trainers over hung with brown trousers, were poking out from behind the couch. _They could have waited until we left for a little privacy._ He joked to himself. _Go Kyo, I never knew you had it in you._

_Oh Shigure you evil git, go and help that poor boy. I bet he is sweating buckets over there. _He told himself, and nodded. "I think you should wait here, _please_, and I'll tell you when it's safe. No body move!" he shouted to the room. A quick detour to the laundry room, and he was back, wearing one of his other light grey Kimono's and dark grey Obis, and more clothes bundled over his right arm. "Aayame, I know you have a divine body, but it is _too_ _good_ for everyone here to bask in. for their own sake, you need to safe their virgin eyes, and put this on." Shigure laughed as Aayame played the part of the martyr, and put on one of Shigure's robes.

"Those poor children, unable to comprehend and understand the perfection of my body." He said woefully, making Shigure chuckle and shake his head, as he handed out more clothes.

"Hold on back there, I'll be right with you." Shigure said slyly over the couch, receiving a bitter grunt as a reply. From Kyo, of course.

"Hurry up damn you." he spat under his breath.

"You know." Yoko gulped, focusing on his angled and defined face to stop her eyes travelling. He looked to her eyes again, realising she had addressed him. "You're quite strong. To hold yourself up like that for so long. Practice?" she squeaked.

"200 press ups every morning."

"Ah, I do 200, but I do sit ups."

"Really?"

"Yeah, every morning." Too afraid of silence, she added. "What do you do in bed? I mean before bed!" She then cursed mentally, and noticed the pink tinge his cheeks went.

"Erm, I, er, go for a run sometimes. I don't do much _before_ bed." He then looked away from her, embarrassed beyond hell.

_Oh great, now what am I supposed to focus on?_ She gulped. _His hair, stare at his hair._ She did this, as Shigure pealed Yuki (who was openly grateful, liar) and roused Tohru. Takara seemed to know what she was doing, and massaged her temples until her mind stopped spinning.

Meanwhile.

"You run before bed often?"

"Erm, sometimes."

"I'll do it with you if you like." His red eyes snapped back to her wide, and hers soon mirrored his shock. "Running! I'll _run_ with you!"

"Oh, yeah, of course." He chuckled nervously. "What else could you mean."

"Running, obviously." They both looked in different directions, before looking back.

"Shigure!"

"Coming, coming." He patted Suzu's back as he passed her, seeing she had gotten her breathing under control, and quite calmly (and grinning) walked behind the couch and leaned with the small of his back against it. "Hello there you two. Having fun?"

"Just give me some bloody clothes and less smirking!" he growled, lifting up from her slightly.

"Ok." He dropped a large towel over them both. "I'll be in the kitchen if you need me."

"WAIT!" but he was gone. "Fuck."

"I'll close my eyes. Just tell me when to look, k?" Yoko lifted her hands up from the floor, and accidentally brushed her fingers against both sides of his ribs. "Oh! Sorry!"

"Just." He didn't finish. She had covered her eyes and was waiting. That was all he wanted. _Of all the fucking things I've had happen to me, this must have been the bloody worst!_ Barring things involving physical abuse, of course.

Kyo knelt up from her, wrapping the towel around his entire body, including his shoulders, and held it tightly in the middle in front of him, to make sure he was completely hidden now. For a moment, he looked down at her. Her hair cinnamon hair fanned out from her bobble on the floor, smooth and shimmering, her pale peach skin looking petal soft, and her rose lips closed, but still looking as lush as when he first saw her. _Shame about the rest of her._ But even as he thought that, his treacherous mind brought back images of the brief moment he felt her entire body pressed against his, and being nestled between large, rounded breasts… both of which were hidden beneath her ghastly oversized olive green jumper. _Why does she wear that crap anyway? If I didn't see her face, I would have thought she was a guy. _

Kyo finally got to his feet, and nudged her hip with his foot. "You can get up now."

"Oh, right. Thanks." Yoko jumped to her feet, dusted her self off, and marched straight to Suzu. "Never leave my side in this house again, understand?" she sighed, not even realising she had been holding her breath.

"If the deal goes both ways, deal." _No more freaking naked grown men sneaking up behind me like that again, thank you very much!_

_After Shigure entered the kitchen again._

Kano looked round and smiled as Shigure came back.

"Safe yet?"

"As long as they used condoms."

"What!"

"Hmm?" he smirked, and Kano soon caught on.

"Don't scare me like that. My baby sister is in that room." He wiped his hand down his face, and the nodded. "Well, now that the craziness of the situation is over. What do we do now?" Kano walked over to him, and they entered the living room. Everyone was gathering back together again, and looking to the two Dogs to make the next decision.

"What do we do now?" he held his chin and closed his eyes. Following suit, Kano folded his arms, also thinking hard. Although, usually he didn't focus on anything to do with people who turned into animals, but then again, he hadn't ever seen animals turn back into naked people right before his eyes, _men_, on top of that. "Now Kano." He looked to the older man. "Now you have to stay here. And never leave again."


	5. Chapter 5

"_Now you have to stay here. And never leave again." _

At first Kano just stared unblinkingly at Shigure. His eyes were closed in serious thought, his hand still holding his chin and his other holding his other elbow. Stood tall in his almost authoritarian grey kimono, looking the most serious he had ever been since they first met. Including the nude incident in the kitchen.

"…excuse me?" was all Kano could say. Shigure finally opened his brown eyes and looked at him with a warm, albeit sorry smile.

"You have to understand, this is the only way. Kyo." He called. "Lock the doors."

"What!" Kano yelled, snapping his head towards the orange headed teen. "Don't you _dare_!"

"Shigure, you can't be seri-"

"I gave you an order Kyo. You are in _my_ house, and I rarely ever ask you to do anything. Now lock the doors." Kyo gulped, not liking how even Tohru looked to him with worry. Should he do it? "_Kyo._"

"Right." That was the first time Shigure had growled at him sternly, and the cat obeyed for the first time in his life.

He got as far as the hallway, when Kano stood in his way.

"I am a very calm man Kyo. It takes a lot to upset me."

"Humph." He pretended not to care, and looked to Shigure out of the corner of his eyes. _Please don't make me do this._ But he kept up his tough guy façade all the while.

"Kyo! If you lock us in here I swear I'll kick your ass!" Yoko screamed at last. "Naked or not!" he blushed slightly at that, but not nearly as much as Yoko did.

"Shigure san, please-"

"I'm sorry Tohru." Shigure sighed, not liking how what _was_ a happy, even hilarious situation had turned so ugly. But he had to protect the Sohma household. If Akito ever found out that even _more _people have found out about the curse at his house, then who _knows_ what would happen. There was only one thing for it. Lock them in, and call Hatori right away.

He felt horrible for even thinking of wiping any of their memories away. He looked up to Kano, who looked absolutely intimidating stood there, bare-chested still, his muscles tensed and promising pain to anyone who tried to pass him. "But it's the only way."

"No it isn't 'Gure." A sly, elegant voice slithered across the room.

"Not now Aayame." He growled. He already felt like a bastard for doing this. He didn't need his best friend to make him feel even worse.

"You can't do this!" Kyo riled up at last. He didn't feel comfortable being the one asked to lock the doors. "And I sure as hell won't!"

"Fine, _I'll _do it." Shigure huffed, turning to face Kano.

"Sohma San." Kano said with a stern jaw. His dark magenta eyes seemed to grow even darker, torturous promises dancing in his eyes like flames on this potential explosion. "I won't let you lock us in here." Waves and waves or protective need hit Shigure, coming from the younger man before him. and he recognised the emotion well, as he felt the same.

"No harm will come to any of you, I promise."

"What _will_ come to any of us? I'm not moving until you tell me." To punctuate his point, he placed his hands at both sides of the door frame, blocking any chance of escape.

"Are you really going to wipe their memories?" Yuki, still a little rat, spoke louder than any of them, solemnly.

Shigure's head hung forward.

Kano creased his brow at him, before looking to Shigure for answers.

"You know we have to Yuki." He spoke with his eyes closed, feeling Kano's desperate gaze on him all the time. "They know."

"We wouldn't tell anyone! Not ever!" Yoko pleaded. "We aren't like that!"

"I _was _just kidding before about the whole sell you to the circus thing you know." Suzu chuckled.

"Why aren't you angry about this Suzu!" Yoko shouted at her, stomping her foot angrily. "Do you _want_ to have you memories wiped?"

"My memories aren't _going_ to be wiped." Suzu lowered onto the couch lazily, Aayame sitting next to her.

"Oh _really_!" Yoko was more than frantic by this point. Memories in her head? Being messed with? Would the person doing it _see_ other _certain_ memories too? _No!_

"Yep, really." Suzu was uncharacteristically calm. She leaned her shoulder against Aayame's side, huddling against him like she would her brother. And of course he smiled knowingly and draped an arm across her shoulders. "Because there _is_ another way."

"No there isn't." Shigure pined sadly, feeling the villain. "If there were-"

"Shigure San." Tohru piqued up. This was very odd for Tohru, she never sounded annoyed with _anyone_. "There _is_ another way." It took a moment for Shigure to come to the same conclusion as Tohru and for some reason Suzu too. How _she _knew, he could only guess. _Aayame._

"Tohru, you know Akito would never allow it."

"Allow what? Akito who? What the hell are you all talking about!" Yoko grit her teeth. She then stopped, realising that for once she was playing Suzu's role. "Who is Akito, _please_?"

"Yeah, _who_ _is_ Akito?" Suzu asked with interest.

"He is the head of the Sohma household my dear. The one who rules over all of us, and oversees family affairs." Aayame explained.

"And he _barely_ let it go the last time."

"Last time?" Yoko raised a brow.

"I'm not a Sohma." Tohru smiled softly. "Tohru _Honda_, remember?"

"So you found out about the curse too! And they didn't wipe _your_ memory." Yoko sighed, finally seeing hope on the horizon.

"Tohru had already started living here when she discovered the family secret you see. And after much persuasion from myself, Akito allowed her to stay on the condition she never told anyone about us, and she stayed here where both we, and he, could keep an eye on her."

"I'm all alone now without the Sohmas. My mother and father had both passed away, and I was living on my own in a tent when Yuki found me." She beamed happily, giving Yuki an extra squeeze in her hands. He took comfort from that, and continued.

"But Akito looks for any excuse at every opportunity to have her memory wiped and turned away. We always have to be on our guard, he tries everything and anything to have his way." The undertone of hatred in Yuki's voice piped Suzu's interest.

"So he is a bastard then?"

"Literally and none literally." Yuki looked away. "He is the reason I don't live in the Sohma estate anymore."

"And he banished me." Kyo added, running a hand through his orange hair, but he sounded delighted about that. It made Yoko smile at last.

"And I am only out here after heavy persuasion and for my job. I'm a novelist." Shigure added, trying to smile despite the situation.

"PE Teacher, and sport's studies." Kano nodded to him.

"Student." Suzu added for the hell of it with a grin.

"Fashion designer and owner of my own business." Aayame giggled. "I have many customers you know. But too few models. I keep asking Yuki but-"

"BUT I'm not _demented_ so moving on." Yuki coughed into his hand. This conversation kept swinging from dire to light hearted quicker than he could blink his little rat eyes. "So that's basically the only reason Tohru knows of the curse and hasn't had her memory wiped. But Tohru had to work really hard to stay here, and she is only one person."

"So you see Aayame? There is no other way that-"

"Oh poo, nonsense. How do you know Akito will forbid it? We have always been looking for a way to break the curse, to be accepted. This might just be the way to go about it." He smiled, unusually calm as well, and started to play with a lock of Suzu's midnight hair. "I _do_ love your hair my dear. You _must _tell me the names of all the hair products you use."

"Well I-"

"And the only way to protect the secret is to wipe your memory. Don't worry, Hatori has had plenty of practice and knows what he is doing. He's the family Doctor too, and has very gentle hands. A few minutes, and you'll not remember anything before you entered the house."

"And then we will be on our way? No brain damage, no other damage or repercussions either?" Kano asked sceptically. He didn't believe in messing with things that weren't supposed to be messed with. Your head being the prime example.

"Exactly."

"Not exactly." Aayame once again spoke up. "Shigure, have you forgotten the minimum time Hatori can wipe is only 2 days? No less?" Shigure brushed it off.

"That doesn't make any difference."

"Oh yes it does!" Suzu jumped to her feet, at last being her good old self. "Kano! Yesterday!" his dark magenta eyes opened to mirror his sister's.

What had happened to the four of them yesterday, that would he disastrous to forget, hmmm?

Yoko grew very quite, and her amber eyes caught glances from the siblings, and Takara.

The brilliant blonde had been taking in all this information, and was starting to think along the same path as Kano.

She walked over to Yoko, and placed a hand on her shoulder. She then looked pleadingly at Kano, who nodded.

"Alright, no after shock or effects, no strings attached?"

"No strings attached." Shigure sighed. He had actually been enjoying Kano's company, and the girls. He would have liked to get their address and phone number and keep in touch. But this way he wouldn't even be able to write to them. Not now. _At least he seems to be cooperating now._

"Ok." Yoko stopped breathing. She even lost her balance and had to use Takara to keep standing. "But not today." Kano sent her a reassuring look. "Don't ask me why, I can't tell you. But something happened yesterday that would be dangerous to us to forget so easily. We will let this Hatori person wipe our memories, but only if you wait until tomorrow evening, _no sooner_. We can forget tomorrow and today, but not yesterday." Shigure raised a brow, curious as to what could have happened yesterday that would be 'dangerous' to forget?

_Is it the reason they drove for so long? And got lost in the first place?_ _Are they on the run from something?_

After a long silence, he nodded.

"Alright. But you have to stay here for the night."

"No problem." Kano sighed with relief. He hadn't even insisted to know what happened yesterday. "Thank you. And I'm sorry this all happened." He relaxed, letting his hands slip from the door frame.

"No, _I'm_ sorry this all happened. And I'm so sorry that you have to go through this." Shigure gave him a small bow of his head.

"I understand, really." He smiled, but it was a sad smile. It tugged at Shigure's conscience painfully.

For a moment, no one moved, no one spoke.

"SO…where's breakfast?"

"Oh! The waffles!" Tohru pushed Yuki into Shigure's hands, and ran back to the kitchen. A slow chuckle spread across the room, and gradually everyone started laughing cheerfully. "Oh, I've saved them!"

"Good!"

"Suzu!" Yoko laughed, sitting on her other side. Aayame raised a brow, looking over her attire, and then her watery eyes. He assumed she was just one of those people who cried when they laughed, and couldn't control his eyes from travelling over her body. There was something…something more to her than she seemed.

He would have to talk to her later… "You and your damn stomach!"

"What? I was _starving_ this morning. _Now_ I'm _wasting_ away!"

"You look it."

"So I should. My brother should be put away for child neglect."

"He should. And for not teaching you manners and subtlety."

"Yeah he…wait…" she narrowed her pink magenta eyes on her in a furious pout, folding her arms childishly. "Don't you play that game with _me_ Yoko. Because only one word will end it all in my favour. I _will_ win. With _one _word." Yoko looked away…her hands fisted on her knees and she bit her lips together to stop the words forming. But…

"Cave girl…" Suzu growled at that, rearing round and out of Aayame's arm. He was actually enjoying this, smirking and watching like he would the TV. But this was better.

"Binky!"

"HAY!"

"One word Yoko! Told you!"

"Grrrrr! If you weren't my best friend-"

"You'd what? Come on, you'd what!" Yoko jumped to her feet, and Suzu followed suit. _Now_ Suzu was acting like her usual bad ass self.

"I'd speak your language! Ug, ooo, grr, urgh! Me hungy." She started to pull faces with her mouth open gormlessly, rolling her amber eyes back until you could only see the whites of her eyes.

"OOOOoooo, and _I _would grab a fistful of your stupid hair and yank you off to the nearest railway line, and leave you there! Tied up! And WATCH as a train comes! HELL, I'll even drive the bastard!"

"Ug ug, oo oo."

"Chooo chooo! Oh look, there are you entrails going up for 5 miles of track! And fucking BIRDS are PICKING at them!"

"Ooo, bug! Me like to keep them in my hair, eat later!"

"I just found your left EYE for a trophy!"

"You haven't washed your hair in two days!" Aayame gasped.

"And I still look hot!"

"…are they always like this?" Kyo asked Takara, who nodded with a giggling smile. After such a close call with her mind being opened up like a bad school project gone awry, she was more than happy to be in the clear and with her two friends bickering together like another average day in paradise. "…right…and this is _normal_ then?" again she nodded happily. "…I take it they're not friends then?"

"They are friends. The best of friends, alone with Takara of course." Kano said with a relieved smile, folding his arms over his buff chest. "They may not _look_ or _act _like it, but they care and respect each other more than you could ever imagine. They bicker, and scrap too occasionally, but if you ever tried to 'have a go' at one of them, you would have to deal with the other one to.

"That's right! No one takes the piss out of the retarded mare but ME!" Suzu clenched her fist and poked her own chest with her thumb proudly.

"ABSOLUTELY! Because only this skanky assed bitch can get away with it, right?" Yoko spoke as calmly as any normal person.

"Agreed." Kyo fell over comically, leaving Kano to chuckle with Shigure and Yuki to sweat drop.

"…er…guys?" Yuki squeaked. "HELP!"

POOF

Shigure threw Yuki into the nearest place to hide him amongst all the smoke.

Into the kitchen.

But isn't Tohru…

"AAAAAAAASHIGURE!"

"Oops, it seems I threw Yuki into the kitchen whilst Tohru was still sorting out breakfast in there, naked. Oh, how forgetful of me." Shigure tried to protest his innocence, but no body but Tohru bought it. Kano chuckled, keeping his lips pursed to hush his amusement. Shigure saw this, and was mixed about his feelings.

On the one hand, he was reminded how this man uniquely shared his strange and misunderstood sense of humour.

And on the other hand, he thought of how this time tomorrow he would never see this man again, after having his memory wiped…

"SHIGURE!"

"Coming, dear Yuki. Big brother to the rescue!" Aayame jumped up from the couch, picking up Kano's jacket from the side. "Do you mind?"

"Not at all. It's already covered up _one_ naked man today. Why not two? For good measure." He chuckled, not noticing Shigure observing him with a distant sadness. This Dog could smell out good people, and every single one of them were true hearted honest people. Rare to find these days. It would have been nice to broaden the ties of the family beyond the Sohma's with these sorts of people, perhaps dispelling the common belief in the household that all none Sohma's were dangerous and not to be trusted. All of which, was Akito's doing.

"AH! No! I said SHIGURE! Not YOU!" Yuki had landed at the back of the kitchen, holding nothing but a frying pan from the side to cover his shame. Tohru had bristled stiff over the sink, her back thankfully the only thing facing him.

Aayame came bounding up to him, apparently he hadn't heard Yuki's protests, and wrapped the jacket around him, stealing a hug at the same time.

"Ah my dear Yuki! Your beloved big brother has come to your rescue. Aren't you overcome with gratitude?"

"No." Yuki pushed him off, so angry and seething a flaring purple outline flickered around his form. He punched him, sending him swooning backwards and dramatically placing his palm over his forehead, repeating woe is me, and, but I shall never be deterred.

"I know you are just having a hard time accepting your true brotherly feelings and are inexperienced in expressing your appreciation and admiration for me Yuki. But I will keep trying."

"No, you should stop trying. And give up. Right. Now." Yuki grit his teeth, only getting angrier and angrier, tying the jacket around his waist in the same fashion as Shigure had earlier. "Can someone _other_ than that slimy snake pass me my clothes?"

"I'll get them for you!" Tohru used the excuse to run out of the kitchen, not knowing how to act with Yuki stood naked behind her (even if it wasn't the first time), and ran even faster through the living room. She hoped no one would notice the heated pink flush to her cheeks if she ran.

How wrong she was.

All the females in the room noticed, and Suzu even noted it for later use…

By the time Tohru had gotten Yuki a fresh set of clothes (bashfully handing him his underwear and causing a mirrored expression to colour Yuki's face) and returned to the kitchen, not only had the time flown to lunch time, but the waffles and fruit had become burnt, cold, and battered in the commotion. "I'll make lunch. Oh, and here Suzu." Tohru handed her two rice cakes. "I made a batch of these yesterday, but Shigure ad to go to his editor last night at the last moment, so I had some left over. You said you were wasting away, and no one wants that! So you eat them." she beamed, putting the plate on Suzu's lap, and going back to the kitchen. "Is everyone alright with sandwiches? What would you like?" She asked Kano first. It was custom to address the adults first, after all. It was only right. "Ham, cheese, chicken, tuna, salad, salmon, beef, and white or brown bread?" she asked, as obedient as a house slave, with the cheer of an angel. And the smile of one to, Yuki noticed long ago.

"Hmmm, everything you offer is so delicious." Kano smirked slyly, making her blush again. He leaned with his shoulder against the door frame, leaning over her slightly to punctuate his height, and gave her a full view of his upper body to her, by putting his thumbs in his pockets. "What do you want to give me?"

Tohru gulped, her cheeks reddening fiercely, and hung her head forward in submission, the only way to hide her embarrassment. She had never been flirted with before, never mind so _boldly_.

"I, erm, I h have erm." She gulped again. "I don't know…" she said softly. Kano leaned forward, and whispered into her ear.

"Anything you have, I'll take gladly." He got closer, so each breath brushed over her ear lobe with each whispered word. "I'll saver ever, last, bite." He then grunted as a solid fist connected with his side. he looked up, seeing the pink magenta eyes he _knew _he would see before even turning from the little flower Tohru.

"A a ah. _Bad _Kano. Don't make me put my leash on you." She warned with a smirk.

"Awwwww." He pouted, ruffling his sister's hair and letting Tohru pass hurriedly. "Suzu, you ruing all my fun."

"Perverted bastard." Suzu shook her head, rolled her eyes and then looked over her shoulder at Tohru. "I'll have any kind of meat, I like beef, Yoko likes any type of fish-"

"Salmon! Or Tuna please!" Yoko chirped, and then turned to (at) Takara.

"-Takara will be all humble and graciously accept anything you give her." She rolled her eyes again. "Kano just likes a combination of everything, that odd ball, and likes it white. No one else minds the bread colour, we'll eat it. Ok?"

"O ok? Thank you." Tohru made herself busy with Lunch, and Yuki offered to help her. For some reason, he sliced up the meat very viciously, a scowl over his features and kept sending cautious glances at Kano…

"Kyo, would you take everyone to the table and set it for me please?" he didn't give him chance to argue, took Kano's wrist 'innocently', and took him off to his office, _again_. "Could you bring our sandwiches to the office Tohru? Thank you!" he said quickly, before they had completely vanished.

Kyo muttered curses under his breath, wondering why everyone was telling him what to do recently, and wondering even more why he was actually doing them! He covered the table and knelt down, scowling, eyes closed, looking away from everyone, and seemingly ignoring the existence of anyone other than himself.

"Fucking dog and his fucking orders. Should shove those fucking orders up his fucking ass. But he might like that, that fucking fucktard."

"You forgot an extra fucking. I'd hate for you to think you'd missed something out." Yoko said, smirking with a brow raised as she sat next to him. they were all knelt at the table now, Suzu and Takara opposite to them. Takara sat up straight, her hands on her lap, and Suzu leant on her elbows onto the table.

"You know, you can _really_ be annoying. Can't you _tell_ I'm too pissed off to deal with you right now, ya little runt?"

"I'm as tall as you!"

"Not the fucking point-fuck it." He folded his arms, looking away. Yoko then smirked, and folded her arms too.

"Oh dear, someone hasn't had their cat nip today. Having withdrawal symptoms?"

"Having PMT?"

"If I was having PMT, that comment would have lost you your head."

"And if I was having 'withdrawal symptoms' from fucking cat nip, you'd be dead right now."

"Good, just so we're clear."

"Humph."

Suzu and Takara watched them silently, giving each other amused looks. Takara being more reserved with a slight smile where as Suzu was all out grinning.

"You are really rude you know that? Worse than a girl with period cramps."

"'_worse than a girl with period cramps'_." He mimicked. "For fuck's sake, do you _stop_ talking? Ever!"

"Does my talking to you annoy you?"

"Yeah."

"…then I'll keep doing it."

"GRRR!" Kyo, now in a foul mood, bit at his fist.

"Wow, you mean it _doesn't_ fit in your mouth? Amazing. Or is there not enough room because of all the bullshit you have in there?"

"I'll give you bullshit!" he reared on her, cat ears on his head and his cat tail bushed out behind him.

"No need, I can smell it from here." Yoko was smiling pleasantly, albeit laughing her ass off at how pissed off he looked right now. And her smiling in his face wasn't helping. "You know, there was this new invention. It's called deodorant. Try it some time. And toothpaste? I highly recommend it."

"I'll recommend something to you in a minute."

"Why in a minute? Doesn't your brain work faster than that? Or is there a delay between my talking, and that tiny little cog in your head turning once and realising I'm insulting you?" All Kyo could do was hiss angrily, his fists on his knees (as he was knelt at the table), and seethed furiously.

"I _hate _you." He finally managed.

"Oh good, that took all of 50 seconds. You're improving." She gave him a mock applause, infuriating him further. "Now, can you say Preparation H? I hear its success rate of actually treating hemorroids has improved in the last year."

"I DON'T HAVE HEMORROIDS!" Kyo jumped to his feet, nostrils flared and fists by his sides in livid rage. Yoko simply closed her eyes with a confident smile and looked forward.

"Then what excuse do you have for that smell? The cat did it? Forgive me; I just assumed from the constipated look on your face you had piles. It isn't healthy to scrunch your face up until it's blue you know." Her lips quirked into a cheeky smirk, opening her amber eyes and looking slyly out of the corners at the seething Kyo."

"I OTTA KICK YOUR ASS!"

"I would return the favour, but I hardly think your Doctor would approve, now would he?" Kyo panted with fury. "Besides…I would rather not lose my foot, thank you very much."

"FUCK this SHIT!" Kyo stormed off to the kitchen, needing to put a safe distance between himself and that sharp tongued, amber eyed, fast fisted vixen before he either hurt her, or got himself into trouble.

And what scared him the most, is he didn't quite know witch way it would go…

"You do realise that was rather cruel." Suzu chuckled evilly. Yoko smirked, tightening her cinnamon high pigtail and blowing her fringe from her eyes contently.

"Well, what do you expect after hanging around with you for so long?"

"Touché."

"Thank you."

"Praise where it's due."

"You are too kind." They chuckled, and looked to Takara. "You ok?" She nodded, and tucked her long golden hair behind her ears. She then looked to Yoko with her mature emerald eyes, and pointed back at her. "Who me? Nah, I'm fine. As long as I don't have my memory whipped until tomorrow evening, I'll be ok. Of course…what will we do after this?" she leaned onto the table, leaning closer to them and talking a lot quieter. Suzu and Takara leaned forward too. "On the run again? Where would we go? What if we got lost again? What exactly will become of us? I know you really wanted to get an application to university, or an apprenticeship in medicine Takara. And I know you want to make Kano proud and become something by finishing school, Suzu. I want to too, so I never have to return to that flower shop." She sniffled, but held her hands up when Takara made a move to cross the table and comfort her. "No, no I'm fine. Thank you…" she smiled. "At least I have you guys, a _true _family."

"Yeah, we are family." Suzu nodded with determination. "And no matter what happens to us, as a family, we can tackle it and make everything alright. You'll see. Kano will take good care of us, even if he is a bit of a loop."

"He surprised me you know. I never thought Kano had an aggressive bone in his body. Like a loveable dog."

"Even the most 'cuddly' of dogs will bare its fangs and snarl at you if you threaten its pups." Aayame sashayed into the room, taking the seat Kyo had vacated. "Now, am I to understand that you and the cat have had a bit of a tiff?" Yoko blinked at him.

"Huh?...oh…_oh_." she then chuckled. "I _may_ have _teased _Kyo a bit. Why?" Aayame reached out and touched her long ponytail.

"I passed him on the way in here. He seemed slightly miffed." He chuckled with a silky voice, and brought his hand back with a lock of her cinnamon hair. "Very soft. And from the texture, thick enough to style very easily. A shame you tie it back so gruesomely. Do you usually?"

"Yeah, and I like it that way." She pouted, turning to face Suzu. "Can you call your new girlfriend _off_ of my hair? Please?" Aayame let the strand slip through his fingers and chuckled.

"Girlfriend? What are you suggesting Ms…?"

"Nakamura. But call me Yoko."

"Then what are you suggesting, Yoko?" She blushed, and looked for Suzu for help. But she just stuck her tongue out at her with an evil look of amusement in her pink magenta eyes, and turned away, leaving her to fend for herself. _Damn you Suzu!_

"Suggesting? _Me?_ Nothing."

"I think you are, Ms Nakamura." He whispered slyly. His sensuous silky voice breathed against her ear, exposed because of her damn ponytail, and he seemed to be getting closer to her. Aayame placed his left hand behind her, his thumb brushing up against her bottom (despite her baggy brown combats), his left shoulder curving around hers, and the rest of his upper body arching forward round so that his yellow eyes could catch her amber ones. His silvery white hair made a shocking veil, hiding her face and his from the two girls prone at the other side of the table.

In all of 5 seconds, camp, cuddly Aayame had become a sexual predator of high school girls. "And I would like to know what exactly you were implying, Ms Nakamura." He hissed her name in a seductive whisper, leaning his head to one side, until his nose brushed with hers and his lips would angle up with hers perfectly.

And he was intentionally obvious enough for her to know this.

Yoko squeaked, trying to look through his glossy hair to seek help from Suzu, or even Takara.

But she couldn't see them, and they seemed oblivious themselves of her situation.

How could they! They were only a table apart! Couldn't they _see_ what was going on right in front of them? "Well, Ms Nakamura?" her attention was snapped back to the golden eyes that began to hypnotise her. His lips curved into a lusty smirk, showing some of his perfectly white, straight teeth. "What ever did you mean? That I was a woman? Or that I was _otherwise_ inclined? Either way, I feel I _must_ prove to you other wise." He lifted his right hand up and held her chin, brushing his thumb over her lips in a way that made her eyes open like a rabbit caught in the headlights.

_HELP! MAYDAY! HELP!_ Her mind screamed. Such proximity with a man's body and her own made her hands tremble on her knees and her lips quiver beneath the soothing caresses of his thumb. Her eyes seemed to be in full out panic, watering slightly, and he saw this. "Hush. I would never harm such a pretty little flower. I am a gentleman, after all." He nudged her nose with his playfully, but never back off. "My, what beautiful eyes you have. I can scarcely imagine what attractive people your parents must be to have produced such a stunning specimen as yourself. Brilliant breeding, for a horse."

"A, h horse?" she managed, even with his thumb still lightly tracing her wobbly lips.

"Do you know, some of the Zodiac animals have closer relationships than the others? Like the Dragon oversees, cares, but is never truly comfortable with others for too long, liking solace, peace. The Ox when crossing the river ceremoniously to the banquet, carried the rat all the way to safety. Ever since, either bitter resentment from the Ox, or a bond or mutual respect and caring has been felt by both the Ox and the rat. And it seems this time both." He chuckled. Yoko forced herself to listen, trying not to let the knowledge that his left hand had crept closer and was now holding the small of her back. "Another such example is the Snake and the horse. The river in the old legend has more to it than simple water. It had trials, tests, obstacles. Like demon spirits that tried to trick and dissuade the animals from their path. The horse is a noble, true hearted creature who has brute strength, and elegant beauty." He nuzzled the side of her nose. "And the Snake is cunning, quick, sly, and if provoked very dangerous and vicious." He hissed towards the end. It made Yoko gulp. That sounded like Suzu…and this guy, apparently. "And even though the Horse is strong, they are also timid creatures, who hate to upset anyone, and are both wild, and tame. And unfortunately, sometimes are subdued by the most cruel of means." For a brief moment, Yoko thought Aayame knew about her father. "And so when the horse tried to cross the river, it was one of the first animals. But, with the demonic spirits present, the horse became startled and tried to flee in fear. Only when the Snake looped itself around its neck, and promised to bite anyone who threatened to harm the horse, did it try the river again. With the support of its friend the horse crossed the river, unharmed. As a reward to the snake for its protection and help, the horse lowered its neck and allowed the snake to touch the shore first, letting it come in the Chinese calendar first, before the horse." Aayame placed his thumb on her bottom lip, and gently parted it from the top one. His eyes looking here. "Ever since the Snake and the horse have always been such good friends, they would even die for the other. And incidentally, easily sensed by the other from within the Sohma house hold." He chuckled again. "You are a horse, aren't you? 16 I assume."

"Yeah…" through his story she had begun to relax, as if his words were more soothing than velvet over her face.

"And Suzu is a snake like myself. I am not surprised that even with your amusing bickering you are like sisters. I would like to be close to you too Yoko." With that, her nerves intensified ten fold all over again. "Very close indeed." Yoko squeaked loudly as he started to inch towards her mouth with his own.

"B but our memories-"

"Don't worry your pretty little head about your pretty little head Yoko. I'll hang around your neck and protect you from the wrath of anyone who would ever try to harm you. I give you my word." His herbal tea breath passed through her lips and even whilst frozen stiff, knew his own lips and tongue were about to follow the same route. And he leaned in.

"AAYAME!" Yoko kissed her lucky stars and them alone when Yuki entered the room, carrying a plate of sandwiched and accompanied by Tohru and a very moody Kyo.

Who suddenly became very pissed off again…

"Ah, Yuki boy! My beloved brother has come to join us. How honoured I feel! You _will_ sit next to me, won't you?"

"No I will not." He spat, and turned to Kyo, who was also glaring at the grown Sohma. "And why are you such an idiot!"

"I'm not-"

"You left Aayame, who taught Shigure everything he knows, alone, with three 'high school girls'? that classes as idiotic, don't you think?"

"Hay! It isn't _my_ brother who's perverted, it's yours!"

"He is not my brother!" Yuki stormed into the room, slammed the tray down on the table, and stared big holes into his 'dear brother darling', as Aayame liked to say Yuki called him. "So get out, and don't tell _anyone_ you were here, or what you saw."

"I will do one better than that." Aayame cheered, as if Yuki _wasn't_ furious, and _hadn't _ordered him to leave, but asked him a favour instead. "I will ensure that Hatori is not informed of the situation until late tomorrow. I want you kids to have as much time together as possible, after all." he pulled Yuki into a hug as soon as he was on his feet, and ignored Yuki's feverish struggling. "Au revoir!" he blew them all a kiss, and seemed to wink lecherously at Yoko for a moment, before skipping off to find Shigure.

Yuki exhaled a deep breath, before turning to the table, and the still very stunned Yoko.

"I apologise for my brother. He is a pervert at best, as is Shigure at times. They went to school together, and well, I think you can guess the rest of the embarrassing story." Yuki ran a hand through his grey stylish hair, and exhausted purple eyes turned to the one thing that always made him smile. "Tohru, why don't you come and sit down?"

"Shigure asked for his and Kano's lunch to be brought down to his office." She beamed. "I'll only be a minute."

"You're not his slave!" Yuki was about to storm over to her, when she put her hands up and smiled so softly, so warmly, it stopped him in his tracks.

"That's ok, I really don't mind." She giggled, and turned with her smaller tray. "I'll be right back." Tohru's short purple skirt swayed by her knees and her yellow shirt reflected the sunflower beam face she always seemed to ware, and she vanished.

Kyo dropped himself where Aayame was sat hurriedly, with a grunt and no other acknowledgement Yoko was there.

The table now went like this.

Kyo and Yoko on one side, Yuki on the next, Suzu and Takara on the other, and no one on the last.

"Tohru told me to give _you_ the beef sandwich." He passed the plate over to Suzu. "_You_ the chicken." Takara nodded with a smile as she took the plate from him. "And _you_ the Salmon. Hmm, same as the stupid cat." He slipped in, sliding their plates over to them. He then took a bite out of his sandwich, and everyone else followed suit.

"What did you get?" Suzu asked, feeling rather awkward with the two boys there, both scowling, both silent.

"Cheese. It' high in protein and very good for his cholesterol." Tohru chirped happily as she took a seat across from Yuki (who instantly looked up) and next to Takara and Kyo. "Not that there is anything wrong with Yuki's cholesterol, of course." She giggled, and picked up her own plate. "Yummy, ham."

"Did Kano get his food alright?" _please someone talk! I'm dying here!_ Suzu pleaded mentally to everyone. But it wasn't like they could hear her.

"Yes. He and Shigure were bent over the table when I left them."

……

………

…………

"WHAT!" Suzu yelled.

Tohru blinked, not realising she had said anything wrong.

"Sorry?"

"They were doing WHAT when you left them!"

"Bent over the table." She nodded. Still unaware of anything being wrong. "The lighting down there is so poor, it's a wonder they can see that map." A communal sigh of relief chorused from around the table, and Suzu then laughed her head off. "…did I say something wrong?"

"No Tohru, you didn't. actually, I think you just broke the ice quite nicely." Yoko chuckled, and bit into her sandwich again. "I mean, Suzu seems to be enjoying herself down there. She was so hungry, but hasn't been able to eat her lunch yet." Suzu was rolling on her back on the floor, laughing so hard tears ran down her cheeks.

"…oh, oh boy. I can't _wait_ to tell him!" she sat up again, whipping the tear from her eye and smiling widely like a fool at Yoko. "And I have had _something_ to eat. Tohru was nice enough to give me those rice balls, remember?"

"I never saw you eat them." Yoko finished her first sandwich.

"Didn't you? I ate them just a few minutes ago. Shared one with Takara too." Her smirk that graced her face then was so evil, it made Yoko shudder. She was _not_ going to like the reason behind that smirk one bit. "Oh, you must have been to _distracted_ with Aayame hitting on you."

"…you _knew_ what he was doing? And you didn't STOP him?"

"Yes, and then no."

"Why the hell not!"

"He seemed to be enjoying himself." She said simply, taking a chomp out of her lunch. "Mmm, beef."

"And what about me!" she screeched. "_You_ are supposed to be _my best friend._"

"I am. That's _why_ I didn't intervene." Yoko rested her face in both her hands, took a deep breath, and went for it.

"...and _why_ did we decide that it would be a good idea to _not_ get involved?"

"Because you need to learn how to deal with flirting guys some time. I can't protect you from all of mankind forever you know. You might actually _like_ one of them one day. Then what will you do? I can't flirt for you too. I'll just bag him myself that way."

"I don't want-" she stopped, and remembered to breathe through her rage. "Aayame!"

"What about him?"

"What about, what about him!" she whimpered and covered her eyes in distress. "I don't want men flirting with me, now or ever." She stated as if it was Decalogue fact.

"Why?" Kyo found himself asking with a brow raised at her before he could stop himself.

"Because all men are bastards, end of story." She said coldly, but not particularly at Kyo. Just in general.

Everyone was quiet, Suzu frowning, knowing more than everyone else at the table for Yoko's harsh judgement, even more than Takara. "Well, it seems where Tohru lightened the mood, I just strangled it. So…I'm just going to go for a walk." She got up, her fringe overhanging her closed amber eyes and turned toward the patio.

"Yoko wait." Suzu got up.

"I'll be back in a while. Don't worry." She forced a smile and a chuckle, like always. "Like Aayame said, Horses are strong. I'll be back soon. I just need…" she didn't even bother to answer. How could she? When she didn't know what she wanted herself?

"Don't be long. Or I'll come looking for you and kick your ass." Suzu tried to banter with her, but Yoko just smiled and nodded.

"Ok…" she pushed the glass doors open, put her hands in her baggy brown combats, and walked off into the garden and off to the woods.

"…damn…" Suzu sat at the table again slowly, and realised that everyone was looking at her. "She'll be fine. Sometimes Yoko just needs to go off for a while. By herself. To…do stuff. She'll be back soon, she is never long."Takara put her hand on the seemingly confident Suzu's shoulder, knowing that on the inside she was really terrified. She was always shaken up when Yoko took off like this. She would never admit it, but Suzu thought herself as the mother hen, the one to kick ass on behalf of her two friends when they couldn't, or wouldn't. In fact, the only time she hadn't kicked ass was with Yoko's father…

_Come back soon Yoko. Don't you dare be long. You know I worry…and I'll kill you if you aren't in one piece when you get back. And I don't just mean physically._


	6. Chapter 6

_**Chapter 6**_

_**ALL CHARACTERS ARE BASED ON THE OFFICIAL ANIME ONLY! And I do NOT own any of the fruit's basket characters, only Yoko, Kano, Suzu, and Takara.**_

Now that all that has been said (forgot to do it earlier lol) enjoy!

"But that makes no sense." Kano muttered to himself. He and Shigure had been sprawled over this damn map for what seemed like hours, tracing the roads Kano took and coming up with impossible places.

I mean, wouldn't _you_ remember driving through the middle of a natural preservation site? Or a mountain or two? Because the only real place of civilisation Kano came to once he left the motorway was this place, Kaibara.

And there was no sign of the shrine they had parked at either. The dirt road was there, but no shrine, no shack, no road, nothing.

Kano stood back, pushing his hands into the small of his back until it cracked. Driving all night in a car, sleeping there for a few hours, and then being on your feet for half the day, wasn't good for your back, he decided. "I would remember driving by a huge river. There was none."

"I can't find anything local or national that fits the description you told me." Shigure frowned, also standing and holding his chin. He stared at the open map, as if waiting for the answers to jump up from the paper and reveal all. "And I looked in the Lake directory. There was a Hikostumbe river, but no Hiko Lake."

"That's impossible." Kano ran his hands through his midnight hair, ruffling it up even more. His dark magenta closed, exasperated beyond hell. "I've been going to Hiko Lake since my days of baby dungarees. But where is it? And I don't recognise _anything_ on this map! And I went camping only last month, I know my way around, but it's like I'm in another world here!" he groaned, and hung his head over with his hands fisted against his hips. "Where are we…?"

"Well, I suppose we could check the police station tomorrow morning, get your details up and go from there." Shigure suggested with a hopeful smile. "Don't worry, I'll make sure you know your way home before you leave, I swear." He put his hand on his back and smiled. Kano looked over until his magenta eyes met dark brown ones, and slowly smiled too. It was then Kano noticed how close Shigure had gotten to him, his chest a brush away from his shoulder, and his hand on the table…in front of his groin. He returned his attention to the older man's eyes, noticing they were closer to, very close, so close that-

"Shigure San, Kano San!" Tohru chirped happily outside the door.

"Oh, that will be Tohru with lunch." Shigure quickly took his hand back, and opened the door. "Ah, my ever reliable little flower." Tohru came in and placed a tray with two plates of sandwiches on it on the side table. "And what a pretty little flower you look today Tohru!" she blushed, and smiled shyly.

"Oh, thank you."

"I wonder, is your nectar as sweet as that smile of yours?" Kano lifted her chin with one hand, the other playing with one of the yellow ribbons in her hair. Her blush intensified, and she took a step backwards with a gulp.

"Oh, I, well, I wouldn't know. Enjoy your lunch!" she squeaked, and swiftly left them to bend over the map again.

When Shigure laughed, Kano looked to his mature face with a raised eyebrow.

"She must be panicking, with two flirtatious men on the premises."

"Well." Kano chuckled. "I do try. Bless her." He picked up a sandwich. "Ooo, sausage."

No matter how hard they looked, they just couldn't re track where Kano had made a wrong turn, or even where he came from!

In the end, Shigure tore Kano away from looking at the map obsessively, and said they would just have to sort it tomorrow.

The two men left the office at last, only to receive a look from Suzu.

A look, that said I-know-all-about-it. Her smirk knowing, her pink magenta eyes gleaming suggestively, before turning her smug self towards Tohru, in the kitchen.

"Kano's back. Remember, he's cooking!"

"Oh, Fukazawa sensei! I've started to prepare the food. We're having Gyoza dumplings!" Tohru peered out from the kitchen, beaming that bright smile of hers, and waiting patiently.

"Are you going to go in and help Mr mighty chef? Or do you need _someone_ to hold you hand?" Suzu suggested cruelly, making Kano pout at her, stuck his tongue out, and ruffle her hair. "Hay!"

"That's what horses eat." He chuckled, and rubbed his hands together on the way to the kitchen. "So, what do we have?"

"Well we have all the ingredients for the dough, the filling and the dipping sauce. We just need to make it first!" _very enthusiastic._ Kano smiled, and looked around. "Has anyone seen my jacket?"

"Here." Yuki handed it back to him from over the chair. "And thanks."

"No problem." Kano looked over the young teen. Short, stylish grey hair with one side slightly longer than the other, purple eyes and pale skin. "Yuki, right?" he bowed his head. _Very obedient too._ Before he could say anything else, Suzu pulled on his sleeve, and top toed up to whisper in his ear. "Oh…ok." He cleared his throat. "I would very much appreciate the help if you would lend it, Yuki." He raised a brow, confused. "Help, me and Tohru, in the kitchen." Yuki nodded, and quickly joined Tohru. Kano winked at his sister, but couldn't help but catch Shigure's eyes. His brown eyes were curious, that much was sure, but they were also questioning, looking deep at him. Like he was looking for something, hidden.

"Forgive me, but I dread to think what my dear cousin Aayame is doing alone with your young friend Takara." He started to turn.

"He's gone." Suzu answered boredly. "Left on Yuki's orders. After hitting on Yoko, of course." She snickered. Shigure wiped his hand down his face, and then chuckled.

"That sounds just like him."

"Where's Yoko now? Sulking somewhere?" Kano chuckled, but stopped when Suzu only frowned.

"She…she went for a walk." Suzu folded her arms and looked away from them all, as if it was impossible to meet their gaze. "Hours ago."

"Should we go look for her?" Shigure offered. A young girl walking on her own when it was getting darker sooner…

"No." Kano sighed. "She only goes off if she needs to be alone. She'll be back soon."

"Yeah…she better. 'Coz I'm gonna kick her ass when she gets back!" Suzu growled, before storming off to the living room.

Shigure and Kano looked to each other. It had been a long eventful day, and with all the bad news, it was starting to take its toll on them.

"I'll get on with dinner." Kano turned to the kitchen.

"I'll monitor the pups." Shigure turned to the living room, and they separated.

When Shigure entered the living room, Suzu was pacing furiously back and forth, Takara was sat watching her calmly from the couch, and Kyo was nowhere to be seen. "Where's Kyo?"

"Hmm? Oh, orange head buggered off 20 minutes ago. Didn't say where he was going when I asked, just grunted. Git." She grumbled, increasing her pace.

"You're going to wear a trench in the middle of my living room." He chuckled…but she wasn't amused.

"Would you rather I broke things and hit people!"

"…no…"

"Then deal with it!" Shigure blinked at the outburst, realising she was much more brash than her brother. Very testy indeed.

"…maybe if you sit down then-" one death glare silenced his attempts with a whimper. "-or maybe not." He cleared his throat, and knelt at the table. "So, Takara, tell me a little about yourself. How old are you? Have you known Kano and his sister for long? And Yoko?"

"We met when he were little." Suzu spat. "I met Takara first, when we were in nursery together. She was being picked on, I broke the bully's nose, best friends ever since." Shigure raised a brow. _I asked Takara. Why won't Suzu let her answer?_

"And Yoko?" He turned to Takara again. But again, Suzu was the one who answered him.

"A few years later we met Yoko. She got into a scrap with the boys on her first day, and they called their big brothers on her. I stepped in and helped her kick ass. Takara patched up our bruises afterwards, and the rest is history." Now that he thought about it, he hadn't heard Takara talk at _all_ yet…

He was saved from the promising silence when Kyo came storming down the stairs.

"Kyo, where are you-"

"Out." He snapped, and pushed the patio doors open. Suzu immediately yanked him back by his elbow, and scowled at him.

"Where are you going? After Yoko!"

"I don't give a shit where she is or why!" he yelled in her face, making her step back. "So fuck off. Girls, too many girls around here." He grumbled to himself, and pushed the door shut behind him.

They watched in silence as he headed off towards the woods.

…where Yoko had gone.

_Stupid girl, running off. It's getting dark with winter, doesn't that say danger danger, young girl walking alone in the dark attracts perverts? At all? or is she completely stupid!_

Kyo growled, his hands firmly inside the pockets of his green utility trousers, walking quickly through the woods. She had come this way, he had watched her walking from the roof. He had gone there to try and calm his thoughts, but only got angrier!

Yoko had smirked at him, taunted him, pissed him off to no end…and yet he couldn't forget the gleaming shine of her amber eyes as they fought, they way she surprised him with her technique. With those baggy clothes, it was hard to judge just where her fist would aim, or where her limbs actually were. He had found on quite a few occasions that his fist had skimmed her body instead of hitting, only connecting with her large clothing. And what was with that anyway? She was a girl, and she was pretty enough (he blushed) so why did she dress like a boy? Was it like a reversed Ritsu complex? Nah, he couldn't buy that. She seemed sane. _Seemed_. But then she teased him, making him seem like an idiot! It made him so furious he couldn't help himself but fall from one verbal pit, to the other. She just wiped the floor with his ass without ever getting physical. Even though he _knew_ she could…

And even through all of that, she didn't seem malicious, like she was toying with him. that just made him even _more_ angry, because in knowing she wasn't being mean, he couldn't seem to find the drive to threaten her or attack her for it like he would Yuki or Haru.

But what she said…

"_I don't want men flirting with me, now or ever." She stated as if it was Decalogue fact. _

"_Why?" Kyo found himself asking with a brow raised at her before he could stop himself. _

"_Because all men are bastards, end of story." _

Why does she hate guys so much? Why would she say that _all_ men are bastards.

He wasn't a bastard.

Well…maybe he was. But Tohru liked him.

_But Tohru likes everyone. Even Akito…_ he shuddered.

No doubt word of this will get to Akito, and he will be furious with them all, especially him.

Ok, so Aayame and Yuki transformed too, but that damn rat was Akito's 'precious Yuki', and Aayame always slithers out of messes, and always has. But Kyo? The Cat? The cursed _monster_ of the Sohma family? He was hated by Akito the most, and had been told so by himself on many an occasion. _I'll get locked away over this…_

Kyo booted a tree, feeling a little satisfaction alongside the throbbing pain in his foot. He was just so furious, and secretly…afraid too. He didn't want to be caged up like his grandfather was. He had his beads, he wouldn't change in the rain into his 'true form' as Akito put it. But he still transformed into a stupid cat when Yoko hugged him, damn it!

Kyo stopped and blushed at the memory. For the brifest of moments before he changed in a poof of smoke, he felt her, all of her. Beneath those boyish clothes, she felt…hot.

A flat stomach, large breasts, and she was a blonde. She would no doubt be the fantasy of many a guy.

If she didn't dress like one.

Maybe that's it. Maybe she dresses like guys to put them off, because they hassle her all the time. _Yeah, that's it._

That thought actually make him smile slightly. It meant Yoko wasn't vein and arrogant about her looks, pushing her attractiveness in other peoples' faces all the time. Like a number of girls did at school.

Mostly around Yuki.

Another thing he hated him for, his constant crowd of _adoring_ fans. All perfect, all beautiful, and all praising him all the time.

And yet…Yoko didn't act like one of them. She didn't even go all misty eyed when she saw him.

In fact…she had spoken to _him_ most of the time, not Yuki. When she had been with all of them, she stood near _him_, not Yuki. She talked to _him_, not Yuki.

Her constantly battered pride actually glowed slightly.

Because upon first impression, someone had actually preferred _him_, over the damn rat.

That had never happened before.

And Tohru didn't count, because she met Yuki first.

His mood lightened as the sky darkened, his face smiling and the light breeze ruffling his orange hair pleasantly. The smell of cedars carried on the wind, and then some other scent hit him.

Peaches and cream.

He knew that scent, it had hung around him for hours today…

_Yoko_.

Kyo sped up, breaking out into a run, until he skidded before his tree.

That was where he was headed (not after Yoko, of course wink wink), the one place around here where there were no other Sohmas, no Yuki, no curse, no stress at all.

And yet, there was Yoko.

Sprawled in the flat centre at the top of the tree, where the thickest of branches spread out like a cage around here, was the very girl he was thinking of.

Her eyes were closed, her back up against _his_ back rest branch, and her hair…

Her long cinnamon blonde hair _wasn't_ in a bobble, fanning down like a beautiful veil of sun kissed hair, moon kissed by the dawning night.

She looked beautiful there, so serene and unaware of his presence. He had no intention of disturbing her, content to just watch her sit there, resting in _his_ secret place, dealing with _her_ demons.

That was, until the ever fading light reflected off her angelic face…and the steady, silent streams of tears leaking down her face.

_She…she's crying._

"Yoko." Her name had called out from his lips before he could stop himself. He was really losing control of his mouth lately.

Her head snapped towards him, amber eyes open wide in watery shock, and quickly covered by two olive sleeve covered hands. She rubbed at her face frantically.

"Ah…damn pollen. The wind must have carried it to my-"

"Bullshit." Kyo scaled the tree like he had down a thousand times before, and squatted down in a very Spiderman pose before her, elbows on his knees and his legs bent beneath him, his feet on the bark of the tree. "You're crying."

"Oh shove off." She hiccupped, turning her body so she didn't have to face him. "Hay!" Kyo pressed his back up against his rest, laying right next to her and refusing to leave. "Hay! I'm sitting here!"

"Yeah, in _my_ tree."

"_Your_ tree?" Yoko repeated, scandalised and her face slightly red. She scowled despite it, really not in the mood for him right now. "I don't see your name on it!"

"Oh it's there." He shifted onto his side too. They now faced each other, making sure there were a few inches between them, and leaning up on the thick branch they both decided was _their_ resting place. "Right-" Kyo leaned forward, his hand coming the side of her face closest to the bark. Yoko's eyes opened wide, wavering, and watching as Kyo seemed to lean into her. His redish brown eyes half closed, and his lips parted ever so slightly. Yoko gulped as his breath tingled her lips, starting to shake and tremble. And just as he seemed to go in for the kill, he shoved her face out of the way, and pointed to the bark her head had been blocking. "-there. See?" It took Yoko a few moments to gather herself, but she turned and saw quite clearly, the name 'Kyo Sohma' carved into the bark.

_That bastard._ She seethed. _Are all Sohma men this bloody loose?_ She was about to scream at him, when he continued. "But, I'll share it with you if you like." At that she blinked, and Kyo pulled out a carving knife. "I can spell Yoko, easy." She pushed herself up and watched as he engraved her name a little way under his. "How do you spell your last name?" she looked to his face, unsure whether he was being patronising, or…sweet.

"Nakamura. N-A-K-A-M-U-R-A."

"Right." He finished chipping at the branch until her name was done, to forever lay beneath his… "Damn, I'm starving." Kyo turned onto his back, his hands behind his head, and sighed comfortably. "You?"

"…yeah."

"I heard Kano and Tohru say they're making Dumplings." Kyo licked his lips. "About time we had some real food. We've been eating leak soup for days!"

"Yuk! Disgusting." Yoko pulled a face, like something sour had been put on her tongue, and Kyo laughed at her. "What?"

"That's what I said." He looked at her for a moment, as if studying her, before laying back again. "You know, I'm gonna miss laying out here. I can't come so far out when it's winter, too cold. See, can you feel it getting cooler?"

"Winter? It's summer." She rolled her eyes at him. _idiot._ She remembered the summer sky from her classroom, and the urge to draw it came back.

"Erm, what? it's Winter. October, actually." Yoko snapped her eyes at him, her mouth open, and looked stupefied. "What?"

"Nothing." She said quickly. _It was barely June when we left…_

"So. Is Kano any good?"

"What?" Her unease at having him find her so upset was starting to leave her. It was odd. Anyone else would have addressed the issue, asked her _why_ she was crying. But Kyo hadn't. It was as if he respected her need for privacy, but interrupted her just to make her stop crying.

"Is Kano a good cook?"

"The best I know."

"He better be. I'm starving!"

"You've said." Yoko chuckled, and was shocked when she realised she had. _Is Kyo…trying to cheer me up?_

"Exactly. I'm enforcing my need for nourishment. Because what Shigure says is food…is _far_ from edible."

"That sounds like Suzu." Yoko laid back even more, sighing happily. "She tried to cook a few times. And we all got ill."

"Really?"

"Yep. So we don't let her cook." They both chuckled, and smiled to the other.

"So…are _you_ hungry?" Yoko sat up, her stomach growling in response.

"…slightly."

"Then let's eat!" Yoko chuckled loudly as he jumped down from the tree, and looked up, waiting for her. "Hurry up! I'm freezing my whiskers off here!"

"Then get a shave!" She laughed, and jumped down. Yoko quickly realised her hair was down, gasped, and frenziedly started tying it up.

"Alright, come on." Kyo started walking, waited for her to catch up, and set off again. "Mmmmm, I can smell it from here." He drooled.

"Stop that, your making me even hungrier!"

"…race ya?"

"…eat my dust, Kitty cat!" they both bolted forward towards the house, both grinning and both giving it their all, until the house was in sight.

"Wait! You win!" Kyo laughed, grabbing her hand and pulling her to a stop with him.

"Hay! First one over the threshold!"

"Tohru has to clean up the skid marks later if we do that." He didn't let go of her wrist, and they started walking to the house.

"Oh, right. Ok."

"Listen…Yoko…erm." A blush crept over his cheeks, and he snatched glances over at her nervously.

"What Kyo?"

"You're alright. I was a bit…off with ya when we first met." He scratched his head, looking away out of embarrassment. "But I like you. I would have liked you to stay around for a while. You're cool." He waited for the laughs, for the teasing he had received earlier…but they never came.

Instead, he felt that same embrace of her hidden goddess figure moulding against him and for the brief moment, it was bliss.

Then with a poof of smoke everything changed and he ended up being held to her bosom as an orange cat, purring contently in Yoko's arm with the other hand scratching and stroking his back soothingly. Yoko collected his clothes, and finally walked back inside, closing the patio door behind her, a smile on her lips.

"I like you too Kyo. You're not that bad at all…thank you."

While they were away, Kano, Tohru, Yuki, and Shigure were all in the kitchen. Shigure had soon retreated from the living room, where Suzu was still on a rampage, to the kitchen.

"So, you're quite the chef apparently." He leaned against the kitchen side with one hip, his arms folded over his grey kimono, watching, with no intention of helping. Unlike Tohru, who was scuttling around the kitchen and watching intently as the Kano mixed the water and flour to make soft dough. Kano smiled then, his dark magenta eyes not looking up from the counter, his hands covered in flower and on task. But he was still listening.

"When you're a bachelor in the city, taking care of your sister and the girls too, you _have_ to learn to cook. Because you'd go hungry otherwise." He chuckled. "Or really fat on take outs."

"Did you teach yourself?" Kano covered the dough with a damp cloth, and also leaned with his hip against the side, facing Shigure. Back in his full navy tracksuit with the white stripes down the sides, he looked very much the PE teacher he was.

"I read around a bit, but mostly self taught. I basically just bought ingredients and winged it." They both chuckled.

"So you like to experiment then?" Kano raised a brow at him, wondering if he had heard a certain something under that statement. Because it didn't sound like a question…

"In the kitchen, I'm renowned for it." He then remembered being face to face with Shigure, completely naked in this very corner only hours before…

"Are you ok? You look suddenly flushed?"

"Hmm?" he blinked, looking away to get rid of his thoughts. "No, I'm fine. Oh Tohru, could you please roll out the dough for me, cut it into 30 pieces, and roll them into even circles? I want to get started on making the filling."

"Sure!" She put the lid on the rice pot, and left Yuki to watch it. "Everything's over there."

"Right." He winked at her, and blew her a kiss from his flowery hands, getting some of it on her cheek. She giggled, and got on with the dough. Shigure followed him to the sink, and to the middle counter. He picked up the knife, and started chopping up cabbage leaves into very small pieces. "Can you see the green onion?"

"We usually use leeks instead of onions. Yuki grows them, they are so tasty." Tohru then blushed at her outburst.

"Well, I am sure Yuki knows exactly what you like, Tohru." Kano winked to Yuki, who covered his purple eyes and pink cheeks with his grey hair over the pot. Tohru however, had missed the innuendo completely.

"Oh he does. In fact, we go over everything I find yummy in his secret base, don't we Yuki?" she giggled, her long brown hair tied back in a cook style, rolling the dough firmly. Shigure had to slap his hand over his mouth to stop himself from laughing cruelly. Kano turned and bit onto Shigure's shoulder, surprising him. it was obviously his way of controlling his mirth, as his hands were now mixing up the cabbage with chopped onion, nira, ginger, and garlic in a bowl. So he couldn't use them.

Kano then blushed madly, and snapped up.

"Sorry, I do that with Suzu." Shigure smirked, and shrugged his shoulders playfully.

"I don't mind. Feel free to bite me at will."

Kano gulped, and turned back to the food.

Shigure was _definitely _testing him here. And he didn't want to fumble over himself, or act like a nervous teenage boy.

Like Yuki, hiding in a corner and avoiding everyone and everything in his shame.

Recovering, he then watched Tohru, and stopped her quickly.

"That's alright. We don't want them _too_ thin, after all." he then smirked cruelly, getting Shigure's attention. "Why don't you check on the rice?"

"Oh, sure." She beamed, and skipped off to Yuki. Her hand reached out on instinct to lift the pan lid, only for Yuki to grab her wrist.

"Wait! The lid is really hot now, you could have burned yourself Ms Honda." He sighed, smiling at her before she could start apologising in a Ritsu fashion. "It's ok, just use the gloves next time, ok?"

"Ok, I'll remember. Oh dear, I'm such a ditz sometimes." She shook her head, chuckling. "Thank you Yuki, I would have been burnt if you hadn't stopped me." Her beaming smile froze him and time all around him for a moment, before a cough from Shigure broke him out of it. _Oh great, you idiot! Staring right at her, isn't good._ Yuki scolded himself. _Ah! I'm still holding her hand!_

"Ok. Here." He handed her the glove, instantly missing the feel of her soft fingers in his palm, but having to bare it. Like he always did.

Kano rolled his eyes, and started to add the seasoned pork strips.

"Remember the Titanic movie?"

"I think I just watched it." Shigure chuckled, leaning in to whisper to him, and keeping the two fumbling tens unaware of it. "The sad thing about the Rat/Dog affair over there, is that Tohru is too sweet and submissive to make a move, and Yuki is too timid too either. He is so used to pushing girls away, he doesn't know how to attract the one he wants."

"And why did he call her Ms Honda?" Kano added the salt, pepper, Soya sauce, sesame oil, and looked for the sake. Shigure sighed, handing the bottle to him.

"Yuki also seems unable to tell the difference between casual courtesy, and formal politeness."

"Very off putting. Guys who can't be confident in themselves enough to call you by your first name." Kano shook his head, and froze when Shigure chuckled huskily right in his ear.

"I agree, Kano."

"IT'S ABOUT FUCKING TIME!" Kano released a tight breath, and thanked his lucky stars for Suzu's enlarged lungs and vocal box.

"I think Yoko's back."

"GET THE FUCK OFF'A ME!" Shigure barked a laugh.

"And Kyo too, from the sounds of it." Kano stiffened when he realised Shigure was _right_ behind him.

Sure enough, everyone gathered in the living room to see Yoko, dressed in her baggy brown combats, her huge olive green jumper with cuffs overhanging her hands, her cinnamon blonde hair tied back in a high ponytail, her fringe trying to cover her sparkling amber eyes, her rose lips curved into a magical smile, and with an certain orange cat hissing in her arms…

"Stop fucking PRODDING me!" But Suzu didn't stop, choosing to take out the brunt of her frustrations on Kyo instead of Yoko.

"You said you didn't care about Yoko and stormed off like an IDIOT! And then you just _go after her_, without taking me with you!" she poked him on the head a little harder. "I think I will stop when I'm good and ready!"

"Leave him alone Suzu." Yoko stepped back, with a smile on her face. "I'd still be out there if Kyo and his stomach hadn't brought us back here."

"Hay! Yours too!" her stomach roared, making her grin with false innocence.

"Oh, would you look at that. I guess I _am_ hungry." She giggled, shifting Kyo up like a teddy against her chest. To this, he _didn't_ object.

"Well, now that you're back, I think I'll finish dinner. Tohru, you and Yuki can set the table and join the others now if you like." Kano then chuckled. "Sorry about that Shigure, I'm just so used to taking charge." He ran a hand back through his stylish curtains of black hair, and opened his dark magenta eyes…only to see a feral smirk on Shigure's face. And his eyes seemed…darker.

"Well, that's ok. But you really _should_ remember that _I'm_ the _dominant_ one around here."Kano gulped deeply, as Shigure went back to the kitchen, determined not to let Kano have a break. He unzipped the top of his jacket, suddenly feeling rather stuffy, and looking to Suzu.

_Why that little wench!_

Suzu had almost an entire fist in her mouth, forcing herself to chock her laughter on it and her other hand pointing right at him. She _knew_ he was suffering here, and she was just laughing at him!

Suzu brushed herself off and wiped away a tear, before walking up to brother dearest, and lowered her voice.

"Don't do anything I would. Remember, he likes to be the Semi." Kano raised a hand playfully like he was going to hit her.

"You better get your skinny ass out of my sight before I spank it." He whispered back to her.

"Ha. And you'd know _all about_ classifying ass-categories, wouldn't you?"

"March to that table." But his face was bright pink. It took him a few minutes to return to an acceptable skin tone, before returning to the kitchen.

Once there, he dove right into _pouring_ the sake into the mix blindly, too occupied looking for Shigure.

And he did it again.

Shigure snuck up behind him, and placed his hands on the counter, at either side of his hips.

"What're you doing now?" Shigure was sure he had him sussed now, smirking to himself, and looking over Kano's shoulder, the perfect image of innocence.

However, Kano was a master of such things himself, and knew _just_ how to 'wriggle' out of this one.

Literally.

"I'm just going to- oh, I'm sorry." His butt brushed up against his groin by 'accident' as he bent over the counter, supposedly reaching for the tray of dough circles.

"N, no problem." Shigure bit his tongue, resisting what his perverted mind was _barking_ at him. Doggy style was one such phrase…

"I just need to put my filling into the hole." He portioned a thick blob of the filling into the centre of one of the dough circles, and lifted it up into his hand. "Could you pass me the water?"

"Oh, sure." Anything to get out of _this_ position. Shigure took a deep breath before returning to standing behind him, and handed him a small sake bowl of water.

"Good, this is actually one of the most important parts." Kano smirked, wetting the end of his finger. "If I didn't _lubricate_ the _circumference_, I would be looking at some bad food. See?" he smoothed his finger around the edge, and folded it over into a half moon shape, where it stuck. "I have chef hands, I'm told. With the right amount of moisture, I can reduce _anything _to clay in my hands." Kano looked over his shoulder, smirking lustily, looking Shigure right in his suggestive brown eyes.

_You want to call my bluff? Go ahead, call it. I dare you._

"Is that by reputation? Or a sales pitch?" _Oh, bring it on Kano. If you want to throw me a bone, I'll bite. I'm a dog, I know just how to play this game._ He smirked even more._ But then again, so do you._

"Both." Kano smirk opened his mouth slightly, showing off perfect white teeth, before turning his back to him. "I think those poor little flowers and pups will be starving. Would you like to give me your hand?" Shigure looped his arm under his, holding his palm open up to him, and very low down.

"Any time." He then whispered against his ear. "All you need to do, is ask." When his tongue darted out to lick where his ear met his jaw, that was it.

Kano had won, he had called Shigure out first.

"And what are you implying, Mr Sohma?" the smirk was still there, as was the hint.

"What ever you would like it to be." He then stepped back, and rolled up his sleeves. "Shall we get on with feeding these pups?"

"Yeah, I think we should." Kano smirked. He felt invigorated! That had never happened before! He had _never_ been so intense with anyone, and to have the upper hand like that. It was just the thing he needed after the way today had gone.

"We can always continue our conversation where we left off later." Shigure slyly retorted, before quickly leaving with the first tray of starter rice.

Dinner was merry at first, everyone hungry, and everyone cheerful.

Suzu hadn't screamed at Yoko too much, and Kyo had managed to cling to his pride and scamper away well before he transformed. He was now dressed in only his light blue PJ bottoms. They were eating later after all, after Yoko had gone for a 'walk'. They would be getting ready for bed after super anyway, so he didn't see the point in getting dressed again.

However, he soon wished he had at least put a top on when Yoko sat next to him. His face lit up brighter than a neon light when her hand accidentally brushed with his ribs, matching Yoko.

Yuki and Tohru sat silently on the side next to them, the girls sat together to keep the boys apart. Tohru smiled and asked everyone how their food was, praising Kano and asking for tips so she could make it one day. Yuki simply stole glances at her, adding yet another perfect memory of her to heart, of them all happy because of her.

He didn't know what to make of Takara, other than polite and sweet. She hadn't said much, and still hadn't gotten to the bottom of why she was in his room in the first place.

Suzu was rather…loud…violent…bad tempered…and worse than Kyo. Because she was a girl. But she had a mother hen complex to her, lying underneath the tough girl exterior. He supposed she wasn't _too_ bad.

Yoko he approved of, simply because she had managed to keep that stupid cat out of his hair all day, and she seemed quite palsy with Tohru too. Suzu and Takara were friendly, but didn't really get along with her like Yoko did. He assumed it was because they were both simple minded, not in a bad way though. In a way where they were happy with what they had, grateful, and always seemed to smile, all the time, no matter what. All for other people. Even after she was obviously upset earlier, Yoko returned with a bright smile and assured everyone after her initial arrival that she was perfectly fine, and to stop worrying.

Very Tohru like, he decided.

Perhaps that is why he thought getting along with her to be easier than the other two girls, because he could get along with Tohru. So someone who is Tohru _like_, shouldn't be too difficult.

She also didn't swoon at him like other girls, although neither did Takara or Suzu.

For a moment, he thought Takara would, from her constant serene smiles and watchful emerald eyes. But she treated them all the same, he found.

And Kano?

Yuki found his hands holding onto his chop sticks a little tighter. It hadn't missed the constant flirts and suggestive comments he made at Tohru, and the way she blushed and giggled shyly at him.

He resented that, and didn't want to conclude that it was because _he_ wanted to be like that.

Confident, good looking, smooth talking and seductive.

He wanted to be all those things, for Tohru.

But what did he do whilst Shigure and Kano chatted her up and put flower on her cheeks, making her laugh?

He stirred the rice, and hid.

A coward.

While Yuki brooded to himself, Tohru fussed, Yoko and Kyo blushed and said nothing but ate, Suzu spoke _at_ Takara…Shigure and Kano smirked in silence, eating slowly.

"Sake?" Shigure offered.

"I'm not driving, why not?" he chuckled. They had finished their meals before the kids, who all seemed too distracted together to eat properly, so they enjoyed the sake instead. "Are you going anywhere tomorrow? Work?"

"I'm an Novelist, remember?"

"Yeah, so? Don't you have an editor or office somewhere?"

"Both." Shigure clinked his glass with Kano's. "You were in my office when we were looking over the map, and my editor makes house calls." _Frantic ones for late chapters, heh heh._ "I work from home."

"Ah, I see."

"And what about you? Should you be at work Monday?"

"Well it's Sunday tomorrow, but we won't be leaving until later so…probably not." He frowned.

Up until that moment, Kano had allowed himself to be carried along by the joyous undercurrent of family life. He had missed it, being art of a bigger family. It had been so long since there were more than just him and Suzu to cook for, to care for. And with his late study hours recently and work, sometimes it was just him, or just her. It was such a lovely house, like the fairytale home he had locked up at the back of his mind when he was a child. That dream had long since been forgotten to him. Years and years ago.

And tomorrow night…that would be all it was, a distant dream of a peaceful place, created in his head and nothing more to him.

Not even a memory.

"Hay." Shigure must have seen the drastic change in his mood from his face, lowering his voice as to not alarm the others. "You're going to be ok. I swear I'll make sure you can get home before Hatori touches you." He whispered, placing a hand on his knee. Kano turned his head and looked into those warm brown eyes, and sighed.

"Is it so wrong that I want to stay here? When I have no right?" he had said more to himself that Shigure, who answered none the less.

"If it was up to me, you _would_ stay here. You don't realise it, but your coming here has actually done quite a lot of good. Look at them." Kano looked up and around the table.

His sister was teasing Yoko and Kyo, who both ganged up on her with threats of some sort of martial art combo only they understood, Tohru and Takara were beaming and looking over a garden magazine Tohru had bought, looking at the beautiful flowers there. Yuki hadn't once argued seriously with Kyo today, not at all since they all came home. And Kyo! Mr I-don't-need-anyone was hitting it off with Yoko like they were destined to be the best of mates.

It made him want to smile and cry all at the same time.

Because it would never be.

Kano wouldn't be able to cook and tip toe around Shigure playfully, Yoko would never be able to open up to a _guy_, Suzu would return to her grouchy self (who was currently reveling in her friend's happiness, he knew), Takara would worry about them both again, and they would never remember the kindness of one girl, and three men. Or the joy they had felt being with a family, albeit as dysfunctional as them, being a _true_ family.

Takara was an orphan, Suzu had lost both her parents with him years and years ago, and Yoko…no wonder she repelled boys so much. Just look at her example.

It was just…such a shame. "Hay. Be careful, you look like you're going to cry." Shigure rubbed his back. Kano couldn't take anymore, and stood abruptly from the table.

"I think I left something in the kitchen." He vanished, leaving them all in shock.

Now Shigure felt even more of a bastard than before.

It wasn't his fault exactly, but he wasn't trying to fight against the Sohma rules either. Hatori would come, late tomorrow if what the phone call from Aayame said was possible, and Kano and his three 'sisters' would be out of their lives forever.

What if they got lost? What if they got hurt, or robbed, or killed or raped!

It would be all his fault for not standing up for them.

They had rights!

They were good people, he knew, everyone in this house could and probably would vouch for that. He certainly would. _There has to be another way. There has to be…_

He felt so torn about what he was feeling and what was the right thing to do, he didn't notice Suzu run from the table after her brother.

"Kano! Kano!" Suzu threw herself at her brother's chest, burying her face there and wrapping her arms around his middle tightly. As soon as she had walked in there, she took one look at his tears and couldn't control herself into the cool and collected mould she usually adopted in times like this.

This was her big brother, the only one who could turn her into his kid sister. "Oh please stop crying Kano. What's wrong? Are you hurt! Did Shigure-"

"No." Kano laughed, cutting her off just in case a certain Sohma of the Dog was listening. "No, he hasn't done anything wrong…which makes it so much worse."

"What?" She looked up, smoothing her hands over his face to wipe away his tears. This is what she usually did, when he got like this. Once or twice every few months, usually when he thought of them and mom, of the past, she walked in on him crying in his room. And she would always wipe his tears away and let him hold her possessively until he stopped. He didn't sob or wail, he was always silent as the tears steadily fell down his face.

He was her source of strength, so when he wept, she felt weak and wanted to cry too.

But she never did.

"Oh Suzu. If it was as simple as 'his fault' or 'her fault', I could get angry and fix it. Give me a problem, a target, and I'll fix it. But this isn't anyone's fault. So what can I do? But watch as you all suffer for it."

"We're not suffering." She shook her head, cupping his cheeks.

"Not yet…oh it is such a loss, such a waste." He cupped her face and kissed her forehead. "I love you Suzu, my dearest baby sister." He kissed her again. "And I love Takara and Yoko too. I love you all. You may not all have been born as my family, but you _are_ my family, my sisters. And I swear I'll always do my best for you. Do you understand? Always."

"You always have, you great big softy." She play punched his chin, and opened up the fortress wall that barred her gentle sincerity from her bad ass exterior. Her smile softened, her pink magenta eyes twinkled and her crimson lips didn't look striking, but loving.

"You have you're mom's eyes. And her smile. You can bring down the coldest, most despairing creature, and make them feel human. Just like she could." He sniffled, an kissed the top of her head. "Have I ever told you that?"

"Thousands of times. And I love it when you tell me it every time." She chuckled, and hugged him with all her love.

"You have the best of both worlds you know. Hard, grafting, and you have the strength to overcome anything. But you also have the kindness of an angel hidden beneath your leather and scarlet lips." She chuckled. "And believe it or not, the latter is the most potent weapon in your arsenal. Never forget that."

"I won't." Suzu got on her very tip toes, and kissed his lips. "I love you too Kano. Mom would have been proud of you." And with that, he threw his arms around her and gripped to her as he wept into her neck.

"I wish you could have met her Suzu." He sniffled. "She would have loved you dearly. You know, she always said, in the face of evil, a true smile is all you need to woe his mercy." He rubbed his eyes. "I don't know where'd I be if I lost you to-"

"But you didn't." She cut him off, reverting back to 'good old Suzu'. "You shouldn't even think about that. It's in the past, and should stay there. Forever." She held his hands, and he nodded.

"You're right of course."

"Of course I'm right!" That made him laugh happily. "I'm going to make sure Yoko and Takara don't come after you too. Are you going to wait here a few minutes? Or do you want me to stay with you?"

"No, no I'll just be a minute." He wore a brave smile, and watched her leave. _You are so strong. I only wish…you could have met your mother. But in a way, you already know her. Because you are her. _ His smile faulted. _I just hope you don't fall in love with a monster too, like she did. _ He shook his head, dismissing that thought right away.

No, she would never get pulling into that trap like their mother had. She was smarter than that, and she had Kano to take care of her too.

He took a deep breath, steadied himself, and walked back to the living room.


	7. Chapter 7

_**Chapter 7**_

When Kano finally walked back into the room, dinner was just about over. He took his seat and was more than grateful when no one decided to address him on his sudden exit.

Tohru had somehow managed to get some of her dipping sauce on her nose, and didn't seem to know it.

"Erm, Tohru?" Yuki chuckled to himself, and picked up his serviette.

"Yes Yuki?" He then blushed when he caught Suzu smirking at him. He ignored her for now, and turned to Tohru again.

"You have something on your nose."

"I do!" She blushed madly, and giggled to herself. "Oh, I'm so messy at times."

"Don't worry about it." Yuki gulped deeply, lifting his serviette to her nose, and gently dabbing her clean. "I'll get that for you Tohru."

"Thanks." She beamed at him, and a shy blush rose to his cheeks.

"You're welcome."

"Aww, how…erm…how do you describe _that?"_ Suzu leaned over, until her shoulder leaned against her brother's side.

"Sweet?" He smirked back at her. "Like, how it's sweet you're trying to be Miss Matchmaker?" his dark magenta eyes twinkled at her light ones, and they shared a moment of utter understanding.

"Yuck." Suzu pulled a face, but still smirked. "Only by request, I assure you. Although…it's going rather well." She stated smugly.

"I'd say…but…" Kano held his chin, and smiled comically. "It seems a lot more work is needed."

"And, I'm stubborn enough to see it though."

"That you are, my dear." Kano chuckled, and was about to take it further, when Shigure tapped on his shoulder.

"What's this? A secret conversation in my house? Not including me? I demand to be informed and involved in this conspiracy." He chuckled, and Suzu couldn't resist sending Kano a cheeky look, before turning back to talk at Takara.

"Oh, you're not missing much. Just my sister trying to get Yuki and Tohru together."

"Good luck!" Shigure chuckled into his ear, making Kano blush to himself. "I've been trying to do just that for quite some time now."

"Then perhaps, a new approach is in order? Besides, I bet you have better things to do than give 'het-tips' to little boys, no?" Kano smirked, although trying to look innocent, lifting his cup of tea and sipping it with his eyes closed.

Shigure grinned to himself, and leaned even closer to him.

"That depends." He whispered, and before Kano could try to call him out, he turned to talk to the rest of the table. "Well, I am utterly stuffed. I for one, would like to take off my hat to you Kano for this delectable meal. Not forgetting your two lovely assistants Yuki and Tohru." He mock bowed to them all. "I only wish I have been gifted with the art of cookery, as well as creative writing." He dramatically swooned.

"Is _that_ what you call it?" Suzu snickered to herself, heard only by her brother, who gave her a teasing nudge with his elbow.

"Thank you Shigure."

"Not at all Kano."

"It really was delicious." Tohru beamed, collecting he empty dishes and taking standing up. "I'll just take them to the kitchen."

"I'm on washing up! Takara, drying?" Yoko jumped to her feet in a flurry of cinnamon blonde, olive green and brown.

Takara rose to her feet elegantly, brushing off her dainty little white summer dress (her cardigan discarded for now) and followed her to the kitchen after Tohru.

"I will also help. I don't think those two know where to put everything, and I could help Ms Honda tidy away." Yuki rose to his feet, and quickly followed suit.

This left Kano and Shigure, Suzu, and Kyo.

_Oh hell_. Kyo grit his teeth, and got up.

"What am I doing then?" He directed at the older two of the household, and they both looked at each other blankly.

"Are your cases still in the car?"

"Yes."

"Then Kyo, you can go and bring them all in." Shigure beamed, and ignored the immediate stream of grumbles Kyo muttered as he stormed out the room.

"I guess I'll go…watch." Suzu also got to her feet, walked into the kitchen, and left the two alone.

"Ah, alone at last, it seems." Shigure began, giving Kano a wily look.

"It would appear so." Kano decided to play it cool, averting his eyes to his green tea as he spoke. He traced the rim of the cup with one finger the other hand holding it just below his nose.

He was _so_ out of his depth here.

"I wonder. Have you given any thought about…the _sleeping_ arrangements?" Shigure then gave a wicked smirk, making a pleasant chill run down Kano's back. He turned to the side, his grey kimono giving him the appearance of a much maturity, until you looked into his dark brown eyes, and youthful, masculine face. It seemed he had even shaved recently, with a perfectly smooth jaw.

"No…actually I hadn't yet." Kano betrayed his earlier tactic, allowing his dark magenta eyes to lift from the cup, and lock dead on with Shigure's one ones.

Damn, he was trapped there.

"Well, _I _have." Shigure shifted on the pillow to face him, placing one hand on the table…and 'dropping' his other onto Kano's knee. "Oh, terribly sorry."

"That's alright." Kano gulped.

He wasn't moving the hand.

"So, there is Yuki and Kyo, but then 4 girls. Our resident flower Tohru, your wild child sister Suzu, miss talkative Takara, and madam modest Yoko. They can't _all_ sleep in the same bedroom, and all the girls won't fit in dear Tohru's room." His brown eyes grew a lusty shine to them. "And then of course…there's the matter of what I'm to do with _you?_"

"I don't know, what do you _intend_ to 'do with me'?" Shigure gave him the most devilish smirk he had ever seen.

"Well, now that you mention it-"

"What the fuck do you have in this thing!"

"Everything I need, ass-wipe, so be careful!" Suzu followed Kyo back into the living room, her case on _his_ back.

"What you got in here? A couple of ANVILS!"

"No…" Kyo lugged in into the room, and dropped it heavily by his feet. "Just the one." At that, he sweatdropped and wanted to snap at something. "Hay, what were you two talking about?" Suzu smirked, and Kano _swore_ she was more aware than she should be at times.

"Sleeping arrangements." Shigure cut in. It was then Kano noticed, that Shigure had removed his hand. His knee suddenly felt quite…cold. Like the pleasant warmth it had been feeling only moments before, had been stolen away. And in a way, it had. "I and your brother here, have decided that Kyo and Yuki may still use their rooms, but all you girls may camp down here tonight. That is, if Tohru doesn't mind."

"Somehow, I don't think she will." Suzu rolled her eyes, folded her arms and looked back to Kyo and her suitcase. "…be careful with that, orange top."

"AAAARRGH! Not ANOTHER one! I swear, your fucking worse than the damn Yanky!"

"Uo? Who is?" Tohru walked back in, stretching and yawning slightly.

"Her!" Kyo left the suitcase, and stormed off to get the next one.

Only to walk straight into Yoko.

POOF

"God damn it!" He hissed, once again in the cradling embrace of Yoko, for the 3rd time that day.

"Oh, hi there orange head. You'd think you'd watch where you were going a little more, right?" She teased. "Not the most graceful of cats, are you?"

"…"

"Alright, I'll finish getting the bags." Yoko chuckled, scooping his blue PJ bottoms up and throwing them over her shoulder. She wanted to be able to throw _something_ at him when he changed back.

"Grrr." Even Suzu chuckled as Yoko just lifted Kyo up and rested him on her head. Kyo fidgeted, but finally just flopped on her head and gave up. He enjoyed the ride as she walked out the room.

"…heh heh." Shigure chuckled. "I do believe, the cat has found someone to relate to."

"I'll be right back." Suzu walked out again, no doubt to _watch_ and _commentate _as _everyone else_ did their work.

Kano and Shigure were alone again, and Kano couldn't suppress the soft, surprised gasp from tickling his lips, as Shigure returned his hand to his leg.

Except this time, a little closer to 'home', on his thigh.

"You know, we still didn't get to the bottom of what I was going to do with you."

"I'm open to suggestions." Kano leaned with his elbows on the table, a daring quirk tugging at his lips. Although, this would have looked better, had his cheeks not been flush red.

"Well, we are both grown men, adults. I see nothing wrong with us sharing the same room."

"I agree. Noting wrong with that at all." for a moment, they simply stared at each other, weighing the other up to see who made the next move. And it appeared, it was going to be Shigure. It was obvious he was testing the water still, not being completely up front about anything.

"In that case." He leaned closer to Kano.

Kano couldn't help himself. His lips had suddenly gone dry, so he darted his tongue out slowly to moisten them. But, the flush that rose to his cheeks after realising he had attracted Shigure's attention to his mouth, was legendary. A little closer, and he could almost…

POOF

"God Damn it!"

"AAAA! KYO!" Tohru squeaked, the first to run back into the room. Albeit, only because Yuki was pushing her in…

"Put some fucking clothes on, orange top!" Suzu stormed back in, insulted to have had to be in the presence of _yet another_ nude Sohma in the last 24 hours. Thank god she hadn't seen anything. Takara didn't seem phased, but had removed herself anyway, following Suzu back into the living room. Suzu plonked herself down next to Kano, who chuckled at the predicament and noticed _once again_ that Shigure had taken his hand back just in time. He also noticed the frustrated pout he seemed to be wearing immediately after the first intrusion…

Takara and Suzu began their one way conversation again about what Suzu had actually packed in her colossal suit case, while Yuki apologised to everyone on behalf of the 'stupid cat', as he put it.

"I HEARD THAT! DAMN RAT!" Kyo bellowed loudly.

Yoko had yet to make a sound, and only Shigure and Kano didn't know why.

Let's just recap here.

Where had Yoko put Kyo after he transformed?

That's right.

On. Her. Head.

So when he transformed…

He basically flattened her on the floor, stomach down, completely pinned by a very naked Kyo.

"…I'm having the strangest sense of déjà vu…"

"…not funny." Kyo growled, embarrassment oozing off his every pour. Luckily, he had managed to avoid a 'certain' part of him landing on her, but only by landing on his knees painfully.

Ah well, he would get over it.

Shigure had gotten up to investigate, and laughed his head off when he walked back into the kitchen.

"Now Kyo, I've heard of doing it doggy style, but cat style?"

"SHUT THE HELL UP YOU SICK BASTARD!" Kyo yanked his PJ bottoms from her shoulder, glad she was facing the floor, and quickly pulled them on. "DAMN IT!"

"Now Kyo, perhaps you would like to-"

"Save it." Kyo closed his eyes and started to storm out the front door, when Yoko flopped an olive sleeve covered hand on his bare shoulder. At least it wasn't skin to skin, or he would have died!

"I'm sorry Kyo. I thought you would have stayed as a cat longer. Like last time."

"Yeah well, it doesn't work like that!" He snapped, shrugging his shoulder away from her hand and storming off into to the car to finish getting the cases.

"Kyo, wait!"

"Don't, it's ok." Shigure held her shoulders, and guided her back to the living room. He whispered in her ear. "He'll be fine. Remember, he is a fragile teenage boy who just stood in the same room, completely naked, with his cousin, 4 girls, and then pinned _you_ to the floor. I think he has every right to be a little ruffled, don't you?" Yoko nodded, and looked back of their shoulders.

"…what did he mean, it doesn't work like that?" Yoko sat back at the table, and Shigure decided it might be worth telling _everyone_ what he meant.

"Well, each Sohma of the Zodiac curse, will transform into their animal when either embraced by the opposite sex, under a great deal of physical or mental stress, and once I changed when I was dog tired." He chuckled, and Yuki rolled his eyes. "Understand now?"

"Yeah, I guess." Yoko then shut her mouth as Kyo moodily skulked back inside, with the last two cases. At this time, Suzu dragged Takara over to them and they both got out their nightwear. Kyo didn't even look at them.

"Hn, there."

"Kyo-" Shigure tried to talk to him, but Kyo just blanked him and went straight upstairs. "…right, well." Shigure slapped his hands together, and rubbed them. "Who wants to help move the table for the beds?"

By the time the palaver was over, Yuki, Yoko, Shigure and Kano had managed to shift the table to the other side of the room, Tohru had laid out enough blankets for everyone, Takara had slipped out with Suzu to get changed, and were currently nestling in their makeshift beds.

Takara wore a full length nightgown, swaying by her ankles, white, and plain. No frills or lace, just a long, practical nightgown. She was currently combing her fingers through her long golden hair, and half under the covers of her sleeping bag.

Suzu however, wore a blood red negligee, silk, reaching her creamy thighs, laced around her cleavage, and didn't seem bashful about it either. She just sat ontop of her sleeping bag, inspecting her red and black tipped nails.

Yuki seemed to be bashful enough for everyone.

"I, erm, I'll just." He didn't bother to continue, and walked towards the stairs. "Good night everyone."

"Good night Yuki!" Tohru shouted to him, unfolding her light blue Pj's. Yuki paused on the stairs, and turned to look at her with a soft smile.

"Good night, Miss Honda." Tohru beamed at him, and he had to tear himself away before everyone else noticed he was staring at her again.

Yoko gulped, holding her change of clothes to her chest and looking over everyone.

"Erm, Tohru? Can I borrow your room for a second?"

"Oh come _on_ Yoko." Suzu groaned. "We are all girls here, and we don't really-"

"Please." Tohru blinked at her, and nodded. Not quite sure what else to do.

"Sure. It's-"

"I'll find it, thanks." Yoko bowed to them all, caught a stern look from Suzu, before heading up the stairs to change.

"You girls going to be alright?" Kano crouched down, taping his sister's nose with one finger, and a loving smile.

"Yeah yeah, we're not babies you know." He did it again. "Stop doing that!"

"Never. For as long as I live, I _will_ be the annoying big brother." Kano then rocked forward onto his knees, and pulled Suzu into a sudden hug. "Thank you." He whispered, and Suzu knew just what he was thanking her for. Her assist back in the kitchen earlier.

"No problem, now get out of here! Geez, ever heard of 'girl time'?"

"Didn't that used to include me?" He chuckled, teasingly leaning over her.

"I've decided that big brother can't ease drop on everything us girls talk about. So there." Suzu stuck her tongue out at him, and shimmied under the sheets, dismissing him. Tohru still waited for Shigure and Kano to leave before she could change, but enjoyed seeing the exchange. Suzu may act cool, but her brother really loves her. It was moving to see, really.

"Alright. Well, I guess I'll just leave you alone then."

"Yeah, get lost already!" Suzu smirked at him, and started to get comfortable. "Yoko better not be long…I'm tired." She huffed, and Takara chuckled silently at her. "Humph."

"I'm sure she won't be long. Shall I keep the light on for her?" Tohru reached up for the light switch.

"No, she'll be alright. Turn it off, please." Suzu grumbled, completely submerged under her blanket, in a foetal bundle of midnight black tendrils, and cream blue covers.

"Ok." Tohru then looked to the two men. "Good night Shigure, Fukazawa sensei." Kano chuckled.

"Just call me Kano, Tohru. And good night _all_ of you." He then nudged the lump on the floor that was his sister with his foot, and received a very grouchy response. But he got one, and that was all that mattered.

"Let's go to bed." Shigure added slyly to him, in a secretive whisper, and Kano coughed into his hand.

"Yeah, sure."

Yoko held her clothes to her chest, and started peering into rooms upstairs. _Maybe I should__have let Tohru tell me which one it is…ah! Found it._

From the large pink bed, Yoko knew she had found the right room. She slid the door closed, checked the windows, drew the curtains, turned off all the lights, and hurriedly changed into a pair of overly large mint green Pj bottoms, and a matching button top that was so bug, the sleeves came down to her knees, and the rim of the shirt came over them! But the buttons were tightly fastened all the way up her neck, and she then pulled out the one thing she had been hiding inside her clothes. The sight of it made her smile, and she hugged it tightly to her chest.

It was a little lion, with the golden tanned colour, only slightly scuffed, considering its age, one eye missing, with a fluffy ball at the end of its tail and chest. It was a girl lion, with no mane, but stitched on fangs and pink nose.

"Binky." Yoko hugged her tightly, and completely relaxed.

Yes, she was 16, and still sought comfort from a stuffed toy. But she didn't care. "Wait right there." She placed her on the bed and sat on the floor. When the door slowly slid open behind her, she just had time to hide her underneath her discarded clothes, before turning to see her visitor.

It was Kyo, still in just his blue pyjama bottoms, and looking quite sheepish.

"Yo." He cleared his throat, and looked away. But he also stepped inside the room, and slid the door shut behind him. "I thought you were…you know…sleeping down there with the others."

"I am."

"Oh…" He ran a hand back through his messy orange hair, and seemed to be struggling to talk to her for some reason. "Listen, about before. I didn't mean to, well that is, I was really pissed off and-"

"I'm about to do my sit ups." Yoko chuckled, catching him off guard. Kyo just stared at her, and slowly smiled. She wasn't going to make him apologise, and didn't seem to care if he did or not. "Remember? I do 100 before bed. Didn't you say you do press ups too?"

"Yeah." He lowered onto all fours next to her. "I could do them here while you do yours, if you want."

"Sure." Yoko laid back, and placed her hands at either side of her head. "…but I finish mine first."

"No way!" Kyo laughed, hastily getting into the press up position. "I'll beat you, believe it!"

"Yeah right. You're just sore because I beat you this morning…" Yoko teased with a cheeky smile, and Kyo growled.

"Did not! I would have _so_ kicked your ass if-"

"If you hadn't gone all fur ball on me." She then chuckled. "Fluffy."

"Oh no, HELL no!" He dropped to his, and pointed at her. "Don't even THINK about it!"

"…fluffy…" She snickered, and started doing her sit ups. "1, 2, 3, are you even gong to get started, 6, 7, or just stare at me as I kick your ass? 11, 12."

"Bring it on!" Kyo pressed on, bolting through his press ups until he caught up with her counting. "20, 21."

"22, 23."

"24, 25."

"26, 27."

They started counting together, both going at the same rate, and both secretly smiling.

When they had both reached a hundred, Yoko keeled over, and Kyo just sat up.

"What's wrong Yoko? Are you a bit of a wussy girl after all!"

"I could do another hundred!" She snapped up again, and for a moment, he thought he was looking at himself. She certainly had the same pride as he did. "Wanna prove it!"

"Nah." Kyo chuckled, and got to his feet. "I better get to bed. Before Tohru comes and checks on us. She will if she thinks I can't sleep."

"Oh, ok then." Secretly Yoko was happy about that, but didn't let him know that. She didn't _really_ want to do another hundred sit ups. Although… "Kyo, wait a second." He was just about to vanish around the corner, when she scuttled after him. her long cinnamon ponytail swaying with the turning action of her head, and her amber eyes sparkled at him. "You said you run in a morning. Can I come with you tomorrow? See, Takara isn't really a sporty kinda girl, and Suzu? Not a chance in _hell_ in getting her to do anything like that. She'd rather just wait for you at the finish line, and poke fun at how awful you look afterwards. Although, she dance a lot…"

"Sure." Kyo shrugged, his back to her. But he was grinning like a maniac. He was on the school track and cross country running team. He'd be able to show off to her big time! He suppressed how eager he was, and responded coolly. "If you want."

"Sure, good night then." Yoko beamed, turning back to get her clothes and Binky.

However…Kyo was still there when she came out, and saw a flash of something that didn't look like clothes in her arms. Something small and golden. He dismissed it however, and bid her goodnight again.

Yoko plodded happily down the stairs, to find that all the lights were out and she couldn't see a thing. Consequently, she ended up putting her foot right ontop of a certain grouchy lump…

"FOR FUCK'S SAKE!"

"Oops, sorry Suzu."

"You fucking WILL be when I get my hands on you!"

Tohru and Takara watched happily as they broke down on the floor into an all out scrap, Yoko on her front, Suzu sat on the small of her back and twisting her arms behind her back. "Say it! Say it!"

"Uncle!"

"Right." Suzu growled, and let her squirm away into her own sleeping bag. Luckily, Binky was hidden underneath her baggy Pj shirt to her chest, so she could cradle her underneath the blanket secretly.

Even though Takara and Suzu _knew_ she was doing it. But Tohru didn't know, at least.

"It's been so long since I've had a girly sleep over." Tohru chuckled through the silence suddenly, and Yoko sat up.

"Really?"

"Yeah. The last time, it was Uo and Hana-san. But that was a long time ago. We've just been so busy with exams recently. I'm so glad they are over." Tohru chuckled. "I got a good mark, but I had to study really hard for it. I wish I was like Yuki, he just remembers everything."

"Oh great, we have another Takara." Yoko chuckled. When the said golden raised her head, all their eyes accustomed to the dark now, Yoko poked her arm. They had all pulled their sleeping bags together in an odd circle, their heads all together. Yoko shifted onto her front, and Tohru and Takara followed suit. It seemed, only Suzu had no intention of chatting for a while. "You just remember _everything._ Usually, it's Takara who helps me and Suzu with our tests."

"Have you got a photographic memory?" Takara shook her head with a smile. "Oh, how old are you three? I know you're 16 Yoko, you told me in the car."

"Takara is 18. Suzu 17. I'm the baby, so I'm not 17 yet. But I'm still in the age band, so I'm in the same class as Suzu."

"Then, why are you in their classes Takara if you're 18? Aren't you legally old enough to have finished school now?" Tohru rested her chin on her hands, looking intently at the blonde. Yoko shuffled on her elbows closer to the two, and waited for Takara to nod, before elaborating for her.

"Well, Takara didn't go to school at the same time as the rest of us. She lived her younger years at an old folk's home in secret. They kinda adopted her there, but didn't tell anyone she was there. See, it was either that, or the orphanage." Takara nodded. "And where _we_ all started school around 4 or 5, she wasn't enrolled until 6 or 7. so she had to start a year below her age, to catch up. And went right through school a year behind. Even though she took all the main exams at the same time as the year above…" Yoko grumbled. "Super smart brainy pants." Takara giggled silently, and rested her head on Yoko's shoulder. "I know I know, I still love you, don't worry." She laughed, and then looked back to Tohru, who seemed generally interested. Odd.

"So you lived with the elderly in a folks home before you came here? Do your parents work there?" Yoko frowned, and leaned her head back against Takara's.

"No, her…her parents died when she was little. Before we met her." Takara smiled softly, as Tohru started waving her hands around.

"Oh, I'm so sorry! I thought before I-" Takara placed a finger over her own lips, and shook her head with a smile. Tohru seemed to understand this, as her way of saying, don't worry about it. At least, she hoped that was what she meant. Takara then crawled over to her, knelt up, and lifted her pink silk collar from underneath her long white nightdress for her to see. Tohru took one look at the golden oval pendant there, and pushed up to her knees quickly. "That looks beautiful, may I see?" Takara nodded, and Tohru gently traced her fingers over the ivy patterns on the front. Tohru was in a trance with the delicate little object, and no one noticed that one of Suzu's magenta eyes was watching them through a gap in the blanket, smiling happily. "Oh, does it open?" Takara nodded, and carefully clicked it open for her to see. Inside, there was a woman with long mahogany hair cascading down her petite face like a soft women frame for her worm, wide emerald eyes and rose petal smile. She looked like an enchanting woman, Tohru thought. And the man in the other window, had short messy golden blonde hair, and chestnut brown eyes, with a twinkle of mischief in them, as well as maturity. They reminded her of Shigure's eyes, and so did his kind smile. They both looked like very attractive, and very nice people. _But they are dead…like my parents._ Tohru frowned, and raised her head to look directly into Takara's emerald eyes. she had inherited her mother's warm green pigment, and her father's kind smile. And just like Tohru, she keep a picture of her parents close to her, and had lost her parents just like she had. Takara's eyes widened with surprise, as Tohru pulled her into a hug. "You look like them. They would be proud."

Yoko beamed, tears coming to her own eyes as Takara collapsed over Tohru and held her tight. But none smiled, as much as Suzu, hidden in her bed.

_Good. You deserve that, Takara. You deserve kindness…like you never got from your parents._ Suzu closed her eyes, happy her friends were safe and happy.

Until tomorrow…_I'll see about that!_

Kano was last inside, sliding the door closed. Why did he feel so cold, so grief stricken.

Oh yeah, that's why. They were going to have their memories wiped tomorrow, and lose everything they had gained from meeting these people. It was as if large weights had been put on each of his broad shoulders, and he sighed deeply.

"Kano?" Shigure stepped out of the bathroom, changed into his grey sleeping yukata, and tied his belt around it. It was very similar to his kimono, but thinner, and obviously meant for sleeping in.

"Oh, nothing." He said grimly, slumming himself over to his case and opening it. He pulled out a pair of sleeping boxers, black, and sighed again on his way to the bathroom. He truly looked like the face of despair.

And it made Shigure feel…small. He couldn't help but feel this was his fault.

His instincts were telling him to bite back, and stand up for his friends. For Kano and his sisters. _Damn it, we will never beat this curse if we just hide away from the world forever. What if this is it? What if getting more people to accept us for who we are, is the ticket to getting the curse lifted? We will never know if we just sit back and hide away like cowards!_ Shigure grit his teeth and clenched his fists in his yukata. Dog's weren't meant to be spineless, they weren't meant to defend and protect. He felt like h was betraying himself, as well as Kano and the others by just running along as ordered and tattle tailing to Hatori and Akito. It wasn't Hatori's fault, but he _would_ come and do his job, because of Akito. _He_ wouldn't stand up to Akito, and he was the Dragon?

_I…I can't be obedient anymore. I can't…I just can't._ "Shigure?" Kano snapped him out of his thoughts, and he quickly recovered himself with a forced chuckle and well versed smile.

"Oh, forgive me. My mind was elsewhere. I-" Shigure opened his eyes, to see Kano, stood, more than half naked, in only a pair of black boxers. His sculpted broad shoulders, his perfectly toned, muscular pecks and abs, and his shapely waist were all on show, and under his scrutiny. And then of course, there were those two thick, pumped thighs of his.

If he was in his dog form, his tail would be wagging. "I…I mean never mind." He chuckled nervously. "The pull out bed is laid out ready for you."

"So it is…right next to yours." Kano chuckled, and slipped into his bed with a smile. "What a day." He yawned loudly, and gladly let his head hit the pillow. "Ahhhh."

"You must be dog tired." Shigure chuckled, walking round to the other side of the beds to get into his own. "I know I am."

"Yeah, you could say that." He laughed, and shimmied further under the blanket. A habit he shared with his sister, it seemed. Shigure couldn't help but chuckle at this, and smiled. _What has he ever done to deserve having his own memory wiped with, simply by learning more about us than most other people? What is so wrong with being able to open up to more people we can trust?_

"Kano."

"Hmm?"

"I won't let him do it." Kano opened his eyes, dark magenta meeting determined brown. Kano took a second, but he realised what Shigure was talking about.

"…I understand why you have to-"

"No, we _don't_ _have_ to. Tohru knows and she has never betrayed us. In fact, she has probably helped cover our tracks even more, simply by knowing. So why can't you?"

"But Tohru lives with you."

"And why can't you?"

Kano blinked, and sighed.

"Because…"

"You're running from something, aren't you?" Kano gasped, his eyes wide. "I remember what you said. Something happened to you yesterday that would be dangerous to forget?" He had him, Kano knew that.

"…it's a long story."

"I'm not that tired." Shigure sat up, very focused on target. He was like a dog with a bone. He might not rag the truth out of it straight away, but he did eventually, and never forgot about where that bone was buried.

"…if I were to tell you, that I'm on the run with my sister and her two friends, because I've kidnapped them, what would you say?"

"I wouldn't say anything, until I learned just _why_ you kidnapped them."

"Are you…giving me the benefit of the doubt?" Kano sat bolt up, one eye brow raised, but smiling like a fool. "You would listen, and not judge me?" Shigure nodded, and Kano did too. "Well, alright. I'll tell you." _Somehow, I just know I can trust you. _

oo0oo

Kano's jaw was jutted out angrily, his fists clenched in the blanket, and didn't say a word. He had said all he needed to now.

Shigure's eyes were wide, lips parted in shock.

He hadn't expected that.

Yoko's father…beat her? And she never told anyone? _but she seems like such a happy care free girl…but she is really haunted by her father…by her family._ Shigure knew all about having family members haunting your every move, all too well. But…he was never physically beaten. And it seems she was scared too, mentally.

Kano had told him everything, _everything._ From Yoko's past, and even…his.

_Dear God…_ Shigure realised, he would never look at Kano the same way again. He and his sister had been through so much, and he was forced to…

Kano was much more than he appeared.

And yet…Shigure wasn't frightened by this darker side of him. Because he _too_ had a darker side, that only reared it's ugly head for the same reasons as it had Kano. When his loved ones and in danger.

"You can stay here." Kano's head shot up, it was obvious he hadn't been expecting that. Get out, sure. I'm calling the cops, definitely. But…stay here? Shelter? "We won't go to the police station to find out about you, they don't need to know. You can all stay here, in my house, for as long as you like." Kano searched his face for any sign that he wasn't serious. He couldn't be, could he?

"But…but I…we…" and he closed his mouth, only to smile brilliantly. Kano then knelt up on his bed, bent over, and bowed as low to him as the bed would allow. "Thank you Shigure Sohma-san. You are too kind." He heard shuffling, and looked up. Shigure had swung his legs over the side of the bed, and placed both hands on his shoulders like an older brother would. Or a very close friend.

"You will always be welcome in my house, _with_ _all_ your memories." Shigure nodded. "You are a good person, I knew that from the first moment I met you. I could smell it." He tapped his nose, and Kano laughed.

"Thank you."

"No problem. Besides…" he beamed. "It's better to have two chefs in the house, then two, right? And you said you're a teacher, you can get a job at a school around here, and the girls can be enrolled at **Kaibara High School, with Tohru and the boys."**

**"I'll pay for our rent, I swear."**

**"I know." Shigure nodded, and slipped back into his bed. "Then it's settled, you'll all stay here."**

**"But…I thought that Hatori person was coming tomorrow to-"**

**"No he isn't. I'll ring Aayame in the morning to stop him. Trust me, Aayame has his ways…" Shigure laughed, and closed his eyes. "Taught me everything he knows, that man. he can even scare me at times."**

**"I see." Kano grinned. **

**Finally, things were starting to look up. He only prayed to God that everything would be as easy as Shigure made them sound. If only. **

**Well, look at it this way. According to the most up to date map, their home and town didn't exist, hell, even the local monumental LAKE, a whole LAKE, didn't exist! Neither did the place they woke up this morning, and if they were lucky…**

**…they would hide here without being found. **

**But this Akito person, the head of the Sohma household. He seemed damn right reluctant to allow anyone else in on the Sohma secret, no matter how accidental their initiation was. And if he sent Hatori to wipe their memories…would Shigure truly be able to stop the head of his own house?**

**He would have to see. But for now, he needed sleep. He hadn't had enough sleep, he had been driving for hours, had a lot of mental stress to boot, and was exhausted now. And if he had to back up Shigure tomorrow, he would need his rest. _Please let us stay here, please. Please…_**


	8. Chapter 8

AN: ok, BIG chapper, LONG overdue, and please bare with it. It get's funnier, and I'll be happy when everyone is introduced and at school, AT LAST, so I can have some really fun with it! Meaning romance, humour, and angst!

Well, hope you enjoy it!

From

Draguna Doragon.

Takara smiled as brightly as the morning sun.

The sun was shining, the birds were singing, Kano was bumping hips with Tohru as they cooked a full western breakfast, the delicious aromas wafting through the air into the dining room, Yuki Looking more than a cornered mouse and very terrified, as Suzu kept waving her black, lacy underwear in his face, asking him where she could wash them, and Yoko and Kyo had vanished somewhere already. Suzu didn't let either of them leave until they promised that they would be back before breakfast was ready (and scared Kyo into saying he'd not let anything happen to her lol).

Yes, everything was so much brighter today than it was yesterday. Especially since they were woken up early that morning, with the greeting of 'we're staying!' from a suspiciously giddy Kano, and 'with all your memories intact' from a grinning Shigure.

So why shouldn't Takara smile, on such a wonderful day? Things were finally turning out for the best. She could feel it.

As Yuki begrudgingly headed to the laundry room with Suzu in toe, Takara leaned back, and looked into the kitchen.

Tohru had a knee length flared green skirt on, and a soft cotton pink jumper on. Her long brown hair was down, with a certain pair of delicate yellow ribbons in her hair. Her big blue eyes shone, as she giggled at the maple syrup dabbed on her nose by Kano.

"Kano-san! Now my nose is sticky!" She giggled, and continued to whisk the pancake batter. They both had a large bowl, trying to make pancakes as quickly as possible.

Kano chuckled, dressed in a pair of fashionable faded black jeans, and a tight black tank top today. His short curtains of midnight black hair hung damp from his morning shower, messy over his dark magenta eyes. He felt so refreshed after last night and ready for anything now. In fact, Shigure should be coming out of the bathroom any time now…

"Careful with those pancakes Tohru. I promise you, the only way to get Suzu in a good mood, is to serve her pancakes in a morning. Or waffles. Anything else, and be sure to walk around with an iron _shield_." When Tohru sweat dropped, he chuckled at her.

Takara tucked her long golden locks behind her hair, glad she had the upstairs bathroom first this morning, as her hair was dry now. After Kano informed her of their situation, Shigure was quick to add that they would be visiting a school to ask about tuition and enrolling.

Suzu punched the air, and hugged Shigure.

Poof, Doggie time.

Yoko jumped onto Kyo's back and gave his head a noogie. But they got too close and, well.

Poof, Kitty cat time.

Tohru held Takara's hands and smiled with her.

Everyone was happy, and Kano grabbed all the girls and shouted 'group hug!' Tohru went so red, but laughed with them all the same.

Yuki blushed and brooded in a corner, and Kyo grabbed Yoko, with talk of getting her ass in gear for running before school…or something like that.

She smoothed her hands down a pair of soft cotton cream brown slacks, and white blouse. She had her golden hair in a long braid down her back, and her bangs hung half way down her neck, framed with her curved fringe over her forehead. Her pink ribbon necklace and golden pendant hung around her neck like a delicate collar, and she stroked it subconsciously.

"Alright! Where's my pancakes?!" Takara chuckled to herself and glistened her emerald eyes at the live wire's set of light magenta eyes. He life long friend, Suzu, came striding in, head high, and made her sweat drop.

Her magenta eyes were framed with scarlet red eye shadow, scarlet rose lips, wild tendrils of midnight black hair, and her trusty red and silver spiked dog collar.

That wasn't the worst of it.

Tight black jeans, low down her hips and rimmed with a thick red belt, also with silver spikes on it, and a snake buckle. _Nothing_ on her middle, and black bust corset looking red shirt with torn off sleeves, and the red lace tying it up nicely around her cleavage. , Red leather fingerless gloves to match her top rode up above her elbows, with ties hanging off them like corset lace. Her shoes were also red, high heeled, open toed, and did I mention high?

And they were going to enrol into a new school today…

Why kind of impression did she want to give?!?!

…_that she doesn't give a damn and will do whatever the hell she likes…that's what._ Takara shook it off with a fond smile. _But that's Suzu all over. If it isn't her way, she makes it her way._

"Ahhhh, what is that _delicious_ smell that tantalises my senses so?" Takara chuckled to herself, and Suzu rolled her eyes, sending a cheeky look to her brother, as Shigure almost _floated_ into the room.

"Just dome delectable pancakes and a full western style cooked breakfast." Kano beamed, like a teenage boy. He owed so much to this man, he wasn't about to frown for a long time yet!

Shigure Sohma-san, was _God_ in his books.

They were allowed to keep their memories.

They were allowed to hide out here (since technically Kano was a criminal who had just kidnapped at least two teenage girls without the intention of ever returning them), and even get the girls into school with Tohru and the Sohma boys!

A home.

A second life.

A second chance.

A family… "How do you like your eggs?"

"With rice, usually." Shigure tip toed into the kitchen, almost drooling at the kitchen aromas. He stood behind Kano, dressed in his usual long grey kimono, and placed his hands on his shoulders to peer over them and to the food. "But I don't see any rice."

"Nope, not this morning. This is a _western_ style breakfast. No rice."

"No rice?"

"No rice." Kano chuckled and beamed over at him. "So how do you like your eggs? Boiled, fried, scrambled, or poached? However you want it, I'll give it." He chuckled.

Shigure raised a brow, and smirked lecherously.

"So you'll give it to me any way I want, ne?" He whispered in a hushed voice behind him. Kano blushed, an gulped.

"…sure." His usually swift hands were trembling slightly, and he turned his face to look back at Shigure. His dark brown eyes were sparkling with something dark, mischievous, alluring…

He widened his wicked smirk at him, and leaned just that little but closer to him…letting his fingers rub small unnoticeable circles into Kano's shoulders.

Bad man.

"Well in that case…" He winked at him. "Fried, please. But make it runny. I like my whites nice and juicy in my mouth."

Kano couldn't find his voice.

He did the one thing he had _never_ done hen under seductive attack.

He panicked.

What he _meant_ to say, was 'I'll get right to it, then.' What he _actually_ came out with, was close to a squeaking noise, which made Shigure wink at him. "Don't worry. If you can't do fried eggs, I'll have anything. I'm sure anything you can offer will taste just great." He whispered, and went just that little but further than he had before. He slid his hands down his back slowly, loving the toned tip of his back through the skin tight tank top he was wearing, until he met the hem of his trousers. _I approve_. He never broke eye contact, and fingered with the hem of his trousers.

"A…I…"

"Ohayo Shigure-san! I didn't see you there!" Tohru came to his rescue, as Shigure immediately backed off when she walked up to them.

"Ohayo Tohru-kun. Ah, it takes my breath away to see the flower of the Sohma household so bright this morning!" Tohru blushed, and held up her tray of pancakes.

"Everything is nearly ready, Fukazawa-sensei. Should we call everyone to the table?"

"Hai. You can get everyone together, if you like, Tohru-chan." Kano then had a crafty idea. "I'm sure Shigure-san wouldn't mind giving you a hand, ne?" Shigure gave him a curious look, still smirking.

And when Kano grinned and winked at him, he pouted.

He had done that on purpose! AND felt smug about it. "Don't worry, Shigure-san. I'm sure I'll make your eggs _just_ how you like them."

"…" ¬.¬ Shigure pouted, and let Tohru lead him into the living room to get everyone together.

Kano waited until he was alone in the kitchen, before he leaned against the counter and released a breath he had been holding since Shigure walking in this morning.

_He may have done all those things for me, and I have great respect for him…but DAMN he makes me so God damn flustered! _

_Get a hold of yourself Kano. _

_He's a friend. _

_He's your landlord. _

_He's…so fucking hot…_

_No! bad thoughts, very bad thoughts!_

_**In the living room again…**_

"Right, let's get the table set for breakfast."

"Alright! Food! I'm _starving!_" Suzu folded her arms, and narrowed her eyes suspiciously on the pouting Shigure. "What's up 'Gure'san? A little 'frustrated', are we?" Shigure blinked at her, and chuckled nervously, rubbing the back of his head

"N No, not at all." He chuckled, unconvincingly, and gulped. _That girl is way too observant. I can't help it if I want her brother…against the kitchen table…the wall…the bed…the floor…everywhere…even on the roof…_

He then amused himself with an image of Kyo clambering onto the roof and finding them together on 'his' roof, and hissing at them. it was enough to bring a genuine chuckle through, and throw off the perceptive wild child sister. Takara instantly assisted Tohru with setting the table, and Shigure sat and watched with Suzu. "Arent you going to help?"

"Nope. You?"

"I'm _technically_ the head of the household. Being the oldest and the owner and the highest up in the Sohma family under this roof…so…no." Light magenta locked with dark brown, and they both chuckled.

"Lazy ass." She punched the side of his arm teasingly, and ran her hands through her hair to 'wild it up' a little more.

"Damn proud. Besides, I'm the earner to pay for what's put on the table. So I get certain privileges, so ner!" He stuck his tongue out at her playfully, and she rolled her eyes.

"You are _so_ like my Oniisan. (AN: Japanese for older brother) He says crap like that. And besides, since you too _magically_ resolved all our worries, not only does he count as another 'earner'-" She smirked her scarlet lips at him, noticing she had his full attention. "-but he is quite the mommy, you know? A usual day for him goes like this." She counted off on her fingers as she spoke. "Get up, get breakfast _prepared_, _kick_ me out of bed and into the bathroom, put some clothes on-"

"You're brother gets breakfast ready naked?" Suzu raised a dark brow at him, smirking.

"Why'd you ask?"

"No reason." He sweat dropped. "Continue."

"Right…no reason my shiny ass…well then he has breakfast ready, then he gives me my _packed_ bag, then my _packed_ lunch, drives me to school, picking up Takara and Yoko on the way, stays at school working, then waits to whatever time, takes us all home, sits me down and does my homework with me, cooks my tea, talks to me about my day, even brushes my hair and well…he's kinda like my mom. And he acts the same way about Takara and Yoko when they sleep over. Oh, so you better watch out!" She snickered at his blank expression, as she pointed to his face. "He'll try and be momma hen to everyone here too. I can already see him flocking everyone together for a family breakfast, pulling Tohru in on his charms, and I mean come on! He gave us a shower_ list_ this morning, saying who would get in the shower in what order."

"…he did?"

"You two don't count, though." Suzu leaned against the table with her elbows, and closed her eyes, continuing. "But we had a router to stick too. Even Yuki seemed put out that he had to go in at…what was it…7:13 am? Yeah, something like that."

Shigure chuckled, and mirrored Suzu's position, but resting his chin on his hands as well as his elbows on the table.

"So I'm the daddy and he's the mommy of the house. That's ok."

"Hmm? You mean, you're alright with him taking complete control? I'm used to it, and I don't really mind, but you seem kinda…I mean you have a kind of 'presence' about you. Like you like being head of the house here. So…you _would_ have to answer to Kano of you put a foot out of line if you let him take control. Because he will. and he wont even realise he's doing it."

"Will he punish me if I'm bad?" He chuckled, only to sweat drop at Suzu's O.O expression. "Oh…did I say that aloud?"

"He's a family guy."

"That's good. It might be nice to have us act like more a family." Shigure seemed fondly serious, and gave Suzu a genuine smile. "I'm too lenient with the boys, and bless, her, Tohru tries to be the lady of the house. She really does, _and_ she's done some real good with us all."

Tohru and Taka were just bringing in the table clothe and plates. "But there's an extent to what someone so tender and gentle as Tohru can do. You have to admire her though. Not many could have done and gone through as much as she has with us…still…Maybe having a more 'stern momma hen' figure in the house might do us all some good." He then chuckled, and reached out when Tohru tried to cover the whole table. "Here Tohru-kun, I'll help."

"Arigato, Shigure-san."

_So…he's ok with it. Good. _ She then snickered to herself. _Does he cook naked? Heh heh…wait 'till I tell him that one._

_**Just outside…**_

"Ya know, you wouldn't be so damn slow if you didn't swear such stupid clothes." Kyo rolled his eyes, arms folded, and a sour expression on his face.

As soon as Kyo had stepped foot outside his room that morning, he was greeted with a beaming Yoko. She was wearing the same clothes as she was now. Huge baggy white T shirt, coming half way down her thighs, and white tracksuit bottoms so big, she could have fit three people in each leg.

"_You owe me one morning run, sleepy head!" _he remembered her cheerful giggle, and she gave him the thumbs up. _"I'm all ready and waiting for you, so hurry up! Or I'll set off without you."_ She then stuck her tongue out at him, and ran downstairs, despite the ridiculously early hour.

And now, she was sweating heavily, her long cinnamon hair still taken back in a high ponytail, but her hangs stuck to her face and neck, she was panting, and curled up on the floor.

"Who…pant…Who you callin' slow…pant." She huffed, and rolled onto her back. "I pant kept up with you, didn't I?"

"Baka." He snapped, and grabbed her elbow, yanking her up and wrapping her arm over his shoulders. Yoko blushed, and smiled at him, as he helped her inside. "…you nearly killed yourself weighing yourself down with all those clothes." All he was wearing were a pair of shorts, and a normal white T-shirt. "Glad you did though." She looked up at him, as they bypassed everyone else and snuck up the stairs as quietly as they could. "…it was funny watching you chase me around town when I tried to ditch you."

"Heh, and you couldn't, could you? Show off. There was no way I was going to let you run circles around me." She giggled at him, and he smiled to himself.

He decided he liked it when she laughed. It felt nice.

"Well, you want to take the bathroom first?" Kyo let her slump up against the wall, and she chuckled tiredly at him.

"Why? 'Coz I look worse than you?"

"Well…"

"Hay!" but they laughed again, and Kyo walked to his room.

"Don't be too long. Or I'm sending that Hentai Shigure in there after you." He smirked, and waited for her reply.

"Erm…ok?" Kyo blinked, and looked back at her. Yoko seemed clueless as to why that would be a threat to her, and she shrugged it off. "How about I just get ready quite, ne?" she giggled, and walked straight into the bathroom.

Kyo raised a brow at her, and blinked with confusion. _…right…because that response was 'normal' for a girl…_

oo00oo

"Where is everyone?" Kano sulked in the kitchen doorway, looking into the living room. Takara, Suzu, Shigure, Yuki, and Tohru were all sat at the table. But… "Where are Yoko-chan and Kyo-kun?"

"Probably doing it in the shower." Suzu huffed casually, and everyone but her bristled at that thought.

Yuki felt suddenly pale, and looked towards the stairs.

The image of Kyo and that strange boyish Yoko…in the same shower he used…naked…lathered in soap…together…and…

"_Oh Kyo! You are so goooooood!"_

"_And it's about to get better grunt"_

"_Ahhh! Kyo!"_

"I'm going to get them." Yuki abruptly stood, and hurried towards the stairs, only to be met with both Yoko, and Kyo.

Yoko was back into a fresh set of brown combats and her XXXL olive green long sleeved jumper, her cinnamon blonde hair freshly washed and back in a high ponytail. Her amber eyes sparkled with excitement, followed by a boy in a uniform identical to Yuki's.

Black trousers, black button up long sleeved school shirt, and his orange hair perfectly styled.

Yeah, right. He just dried it with a towel and ran his fingers through it a few times.

The difference between the boys uniforms, however, was the neat white tie Yuki wore, and the lack of tie Kyo wore. He had his top buttons slightly undone too, with trainers instead of his cousins brown shoes.

So basically, Yuki dressed like a smart prince, and Kyo dressed like a laid back bad boy.

"What are you staring at? Damn rat."

"Stupid cat." He spat. "Where have you been?"

"Running. You?" He chided back, and was just about to back his snide comment up, when POOF.

"I will not have you two arguing so early in the morning. Shut the hell up, and eat, before I smash your heads together." Suzu threatened darkly behind him.

Not only had she hugged Yuki from behind, but she had pushed Kyo and Yoko together, too.

The orange Cat hissed, and the grey rat twitched bitterly.

"Suzu! What did you do that for?!" Yoko snapped, hugging Kyo tight to her bosom like a teddy, and mock glared at her friend.

"Why not?" She just shrugged, walked back to the table, and dropped Yuki on Tohru's lap.

"Ah! Yuki!" Tohru immediately lifted him up and placed him on the table where he _would_ be sat, and hurriedly collected his clothes for him.

Yuki brooded, and sent his big purple eyes to glare at a smirking Suzu.

"What's up, mousy? Got something to squeak at me? or would you prefer me to drop you in orange head's mouth next time?" She smirked, and interlocked her fingers like an alligators mouth, closing them and opening them like a mouth. "Chomp Chomp goes mousy." Yuki sweat dropped, and Kyo hissed.

"Suzu! That's just cruel! Leave them alone!" Yoko sat at the table, however, she held Kyo on her lap. He was stiff at first, being on her lap like this, but a few calming strokes later, and he relaxed.

"My my, _you_ are certainly defensive of your berserker partner, aren't you?"

"You know I stick up for _all_ my friends! So leave him alone." She pouted, and continued to stoke Kyo's back.

There was an awkward silence.

POOF!

Yuki changed back.

Luckily, he felt it coming this time, and jumped under the table. He hurriedly pulled on some trousers under the table, so he could sit up and dress himself normally. He did this all in silence, a stoic expression on his face and eyes closed.

Yuki Sohma, as _not_ a happy bunny.

Tohru kept trying to get him to talk to her, but he just gave her on word answers, nibbling at his breakfast as he fumed.

_I hate that girl. I hate her. First the lacy looks and comments, then the lacy black underwear, then she threw them at me as she washed her other clothes, then this! Hate her, hate her…almost more than I do that stupid cat…_

He quite liked it when it was just him, Tohru, and Shigure. He couldn't help that that stupid cat was sent to stay here, it was Akito's orders after all.

But _more_ outsiders?

And _these_ outsiders?

Yuki looked around the table.

Kano was laughing about something with Shigure, Suzu was chuckling something at Takara, who was rolling her eyes and giving her a reprimanding look, and Yoko was still stroking a purring Kyo on her lap, not eating a thing.

In his mind, Kano was a damn flirt, and it infuriated him how close he was getting to his Ms Honda. _And_ Shigure seemed to find him god company too. He'd hardly spoken to him since _he_ arrived. Not that he minded too much…but Shigure was probably the most tolerable of his cousins.

Takara was just _weird. _She hadn't said a single word since he'd met her. And that weird charades game? She wouldn't have discovered their secret if she hadn't been for that. _And _ontop of _that_, Tohru really liked her too. She'd spent more time with Takara than she had him since she arrived. They even seemed to talk, even though the verbally reluctant girl hadn't spoken once.

And _Yoko?!?!_

That Cat seemed to be acting even _more_ stupid since she turned up in her baggy clothes and waving her fists around.

Just like him.

Although…on the plus side…Kyo hadn't been pissing _him_ off as much, too occupied with competing with _her_ than him.

But…she also seemed to be palsy with him too. She even stuck up for him in front of her other friends.

_How is it that stupid cat can make friends so easily…baka neko._

Yuki fumed silently to himself, and nibbled on some bacon.

_Though that Kano can cook…_

"Arent you gonna eat anything?" Suzu let her spoon hand out the corner of her mouth, and had her eyes half closed lazily. Yoko pouted over at her, and turned her nose up at her. "What?"

"Not hungry. I've just run for a bit so-"

"6 miles." Yoko blinked, and looked down at a very content orange kitty cat. He stretched and snuggled up against her. "We ran 6 miles…purr"

"Well, I've run 6 miles, and I'm never hungry after I've exercised, so I'm not eating."

"And does running make you pissy to?"

"¬.¬…you're calling _me_ pissy?" Suzu scowled, and pulled the soon out of her mouth.

"Yeah, I am. What of it?"

"I'll start something of it if you don't-"

"Girls." Kano cut in calmly. "Suzu, if you like your freedoms, and if you want to keep training Yoko, you will nip this in the bug right now, and play nice. Ok?" Kano beamed at them.

He would be damned if his spirits were dampened today. "Has everyone had enough?"

"Hai." Tohru smiled, and looked to Takara. "You too?" She nodded and bowed her head to Kano.

"No problem Takara. I like cooking for you all." He chuckled, and left the Sohma's clueless as to what had just happened.

She didn't say anything…so how did he know what she meant?

Shigure however, know just how. After all, Kano had explained about all of them last night.

"I've wrung Ayame already, and the school too. They will expect you a little early, so can you get read while I get the car out?"

"Sure." Suzu shrugged her shoulders, as if not bothered either way, and got up. "Truce?" She expended a hand towards Yoko, who moodily pouted at it. She hugged Kyo to her chest, and sighed.

"If you lay off Kyo-kun. Deal." Kyo peeped an eye open at her, and smiled to himself.

No one had ever stuck up for him before.

She had chosen him over Yuki…a new event for him.

"Alight already!" Yoko then grinned, and shook her friend's hand.

"So, let's go!" Suzu punched the air, and marched toward the door.

Kano looked over her clothes, and rolled his eyes with a smile.

Tohru smoothed her hands over her high school girl uniform, her blue skirt flared out half way up her thighs, barely, and hooked arms with Takara.

She was shocked, but smiled happily. They walked after Suzu, who looked over her shoulder at them, and smile. It was good that someone other than her, her brother and Yoko was taking a shine to Takara. It will give her confidence in herself.

Yukio however, just fumed even more, and followed them and an angry aura around him.

Kano quickly cleared the table, and looked up when only Yoko and Kyo were still there.

"Aren't you two going?" He chuckled at them.

"Well…Kyo hasn't changed back yet." Yoko looked down at Kyo, who was walking from one side of the room with an angry hiss, apparently angry that he was still a cat.

"Why are you still here?" Kyo hissed at her. "We're not attached at the hip!" He then bit his bottom fussy lip, and flinched. He'd snapped at her again…

"And it's a good thing. I wouldn't want to be attached to a cat." She giggled at him, and knelt facing him. "But I'll wait for 'till you're back to normal if you like."

Kyo blinked at her, and smiled.

"Erm…th…tha…erm…thanks." He blushed to the side, and pattered his way back to her.

When, of course.

POOF

"You may want to cover _that_ up." Kano pointed out with a smirk. Yoko had her head buried in her hands, and she was blushing so much, it burned. "I'll just tell Shigure to wait a few minutes…shall I?" He left them to replay the message, and Kyo pulled his clothes back on.

"…I swear God hates me…" he buttoned up the last of his shirt, leaving the top three open.

"Than it's a good thing you've got so many friends, then. To make up for it." Kyo looked over his shoulder, to see Yoko with her hands still missing in her long sleeves and beaming at him.

_if she didn't dress like that…_ he looked at her big amber eyes, long, soft cinnamon hair, warm smile and slender neck_... she'd probably be really cute._ He then shook it off, shoved his hands in his pockets, and led her out the house.

"Hn." But he was smirking, Yoko smiling in his toe.

"Right, well." Kano used his remote keys to beep his black warrior car open. "I can take at the most 3 of you guys."

"And I'll take the rest of you." Shigure leaned against his black BMW.

"Ooo, I haven't seen that before." Kano seemed intrigued looking the car once over. "Fifth series?"

"I know it isn't the _most_ up to date series, but I like it."

"It certainly has the best looks of them all. And the shapes of her headlights are just brilliant." Shigure smirked at him, and Kano sweat dropped. "I, erm, like cars."

"I've noticed." Shigure laughed, and opened the car door. "I'll take you for a ride some time, if you like?" Kano opened his mouth to answer, but sensed the innuendo in his words.

"Ah…well. Everybody in!" He chuckled nervously, and retreated to the car. _Oh shit, oh shit. We've only known each other a few days. No, no, no!_

Shigure frowned. That was twice today he had run away from his banter. _Maybe…he isn't…_

"Takara-chan, would you like to come with me?" Tohru smiled, and still had her arm hooked.

She couldn't help it. After learning about how Takara had _never_ had parents, it just broke her heart.

_I at least had my mom to take care of me. And now that she's gone, I want her back so much. But to think that Takara-chan has never had the kind of relationship and love like I have from a mother…it must have been really hard on her. And no father either. No one. And to have no voice either…_

Tohru basically decided to adopt Takara herself, feeling a strong need to take care of her. "I can't wait to introduce you to Uo-chan and Hanajime, and-"

Takara just smiled her emerald eyes at her warmly, and nodded appropriately, as Tohru spoke happily to her and led her towards Shigure's car. It was nice having someone talk to you without conviction of you.

Tohru didn't even know why she didn't talk. But she didn't care either.

It was nice.

Tohru was nice.

"So…which car you going in?" Kyo coughed into his hand, and peered out of the corners of his eyes at Yoko. She was rocking on her heels, looking very bored.

"Don't mind, really." She then noticed that Yuki was looking at Takara funnily, and her protective alarm bells starting ringing softly. She looked to Suzu, who was talking with her brother. "Be right back." Kyo watched as Yoko stormed over to Suzu, whispered something in her ear, and blinked.

Suzu seemed to snap into a fowl mood, and stomped over to Shigure's car. She hooked Takara's other arm, ushered her and Tohru into the car.

What Kyo found very amusing, however, was the way that Suzu gave Yuki the middle finger, grabbed his shirt, and yanked him inside after her. "Hay!" Kyo turned, and looked towards the source of the voice.

Yoko pulled open the raised black car doors of Kano's warrior, and looked back to Kyo. "Oi! Get _in_ here!" Kyo shrugged, and smirked to himself climbed into the car with her.

They talked about their fight, their run, people they ran past, the school, and the track team. Well, anything really. Kyo found he could talk about anything, stupid, and not, with Yoko. She just laughed heartily, and always had something relevant to add.

He'd never met a girl who he could talk to so easily.

oo00oo

"At last! Here!"

"Ah! Watch it Suzu! I like my body in ONE piece!"

"Whatever Yoko." Yoko growled, and sulked as they all got together outside the front gates.

Yuki had managed to sit stiffly silent in the car, squeezed between Suzu and Tohru. He now brushed off his black uniform, and was still very irritable when the familiar squeal of the Yuki fan club reached his ears.

_No…too early for fan girls…eck._

"Ms Honda, shouldn't we get to class and let our new friends report to the headmaster to-"

"Oh no!" Yoko yelled, and put both her hands on her head. "I'm 16!"

"Erm…" Kyo snickered. "Nice of you to tell us." He struggled not to laugh at her. She was just _so_ random at times.

"No you _idiot_!" She snapped and looked to Suzu.

"Oh yeah…" Suzu flipped her wild tendrils of midnight hair gracefully behind her, and shrugged. "I'm 17, Takara is 18, but within the age band, and the rest of you are all 17 too, right?" Kyo blinked, and then felt like he had been smacked in the head.

They were all in their second year.

But if Yoko was only 16…

"You're a freshman?!"

"Yeah, didn't I tell you?" Yoko blinked at him, and yelped when he thumped her over the head.

"No you did not!" Big orange cat ears bristled on his head, and he growled comically at her. "But if you're just a freshman, then you'll have to have lessens with that annoying Momiji and teme Haru!"

_And you'll not be in any of my classes…_ But he decided to leave that out, to save his pride. _And just when I thought…_

"…oro?" She blinked at him and chuckled nervously. "Erm…who are Momiji and Haru?"

"They're Sohmas too!" Tohru piped up. "In the year below. And they're the 'same' as Kyo and Yuki." Tohru gave an over the top wink, and Suzu rolled her eyes at her.

"So they get down with the farmyard too then, huh?"

"Suzu!" Yoko jumped on her back like a chibi, and waved one arm around. "Stop drawing attention to that! We swore an oath of secrecy, remember?!"

"…if anyone is drawing attention to us…_you_ are." Suzu's left eye twitched, and Yoko sweat dropped.

"Oh, erm, well…" Yoko chuckled nervously, and slipped off her back. "So…Haru and Momiji are Sohmas too, huh?"

"Yep. _Damn_ annoying little runts." Kyo hissed, and stormed off. "I've waited long enough. See ya." He waved off curtly, already a good few feet away from them. Yoko frowned. _He really seemed pissed off about something…_

"Forget it." Suzu poked the side of her head teasingly, and smirked her ruby red lips at her. "You need to be a _girl_ before a _guy_ will like you." She then blinked, and looked Shigure once over, who was deep in conversation about the dealers he got his BMW from with Kano. "Although…not _all_ guys go for that sort of thing…"

"Huh?" Yoko blinked her amber eyes at her, and Suzu shrugged her off.

"Come on Jackie _Chump_. Let's get enrolled already!" Suzu hooked one of Yoko's arms, ignoring her awkwardness, and looked back to Takara. "Yo, Takara. Tohru. You comin'? _someone_ needs to show us where the damn head's office is."

"Oh, sure!" Tohru had her arm hooked with Takara's again, and pulled the silent blonde after her.

Yuki just watched as they all did their own thing, leaving him behind.

Again.

"Girls are like that." Yuki flinched, as Kano placed his hand on his shoulder. As he turned and looked up into those dark magenta eyes, he saw such warmth there, he just stared. "They are always giddy and like to swarm together. Especially the ones worth taking the time to wait for. But if you wait, good things will come to you. As long as you are patient enough." He then winked at him, and walked forward.

"Good luck getting the job, Kano-kun." Kano flinched, but chuckled back at Shigure, who had just gotten back in his car.

"I'll try by best, Shigure-san." Kano nodded, and walked after the girls.

Yuki, unluckily, was soon swamped by fan girls, and wished he had set off earlier to avoid them…

oo00oo

"Ah, I see." The headmaster sat in his chair, looking over a bunch of files.

They were actually quite good. It was hard to tell that they had only been drafted up 3 hours before… "SO if I understand this correctly, _you_, Kano Fukazawa, wish to apply for the Physical education and sports studies teacher roll?"

"Yes, I do."

"Brilliant! The last three teachers ran off! You're hired!" He jumped up, handed him a whistle and schedule, and started pushing him out of his office.

"B B But, right now?!?"

"Yes, you see, there is a _dire need_ for another PE teacher, and well, no one has wanted to fill the position for…a few years…so…the teachers are threatening to go on strike if I don't assign a fixed PE teacher and stop giving them the little horrors-I mean pupils for PE." He chuckled nervously, and patted his shoulder. "I don't mind if you have mysteriously lost your credentials. We'll do an on the job trail for you, ok? Now, get going!"

"Arigato! I, wait!" but he was shoved out of the office in his black jeans and tight black tank top, to fend for himself.

In the same hall way, his sister and her two friends were chuckling at his flustered face.

"Careful brother dear." Suzu snickered. "I would _hate_ to see Shigure get the wrong ideas about how you got the job so fast, if you come out looking so 'flushed'. Kano blinked, and then smirked at her with his dark magenta eyes gleaming.

"We'll have less of that, thank you very much. And that's Fukazawa sensei to you, from now on, squirt." He ruffled her hair, and Suzu pouted at him.

"Alright alright! Enough brotherly love! I have an impression to make!"

"Yeah…I can see that." He looked her up and down, and raised a brow. Red high hell sandals, tight black jeans, re and black bust corset, fingerless matching elbow gloves, red lips and eyeshadow, her midnight black hair in wild tendrils… "_Quite_ the impression…"

"Oh shut up." She stormed inside the office like a fury, and Yoko chuckled at him.

"Just like old times." Yoko hooked Takara's arm, and looked over her baggy brown combats and olive jumper. Her cinnamon hair was in place in her high ponytail, and Takara looked immaculate as usual, in her cotton cream brown slacks, and white blouse. Takara even fingered at her long blonde plate down her back, and locked nervous emerald eyes with bright amber. "I'm sure everything will be fine."

"Oh my God!" Came the startled voice of the headmaster.

"…I hope." Yoko gulped, and they both followed Suzu inside.

Only to see one scared headmaster in his chair, Suzu stood before him, and her hands slammed down on the table.

"Listen little man-" He was actually quite plump, but that wasn't what she was referring to. "-my name is Suzu Fukazawa. You just gave my brother a job here. I'm 17. I want to start here in your second year."

"Well, we'll have to look at your past school records and-"

"We don't have them. But you don't mind, do you?" She chuckled, but her light magenta eyes were sharp, and burning at him in warning.

_Scary, scary lady._

"Well, I-"

"Are those enrolment forms?" Suzu pointed one black red tipped fingernail at a pile of forms on his desk.

"W Well-"

"Gimme." Suzu hoisted herself up to _sit_ on his desk, took a pen from his front pocket, and scribbled down on it as she spoke. "Alright. I'll be in the same class as Tohru and the others."

"You, you can't just!"

"I can, and just did." Suzu put the form down in front of him, and her two friends were holding their heads and shaking them.

_Oh Suzu, you are just hopeless_Takara walked forward and placed her hand on Suzu's shoulder, her emerald eyes stern. "Don't worry, you're next." Suzu stole another form, the steadily sweating headmaster watching in fear of stepping out of like. Those spike heels she had were rather…intimidating. And she looked wild; he thought he was about to be beaten up when she stormed in here. "Takara Mei. 18, ah good! You're just before the limit of the age band. You're in my class too…" She continued to scribble down, and slammed the form down on his desk. "And my other friend Yoko Nakamura, 16."

"Ah, well, now she wont be in your class, then." He piped up, obviously giving up his authority for now, and going along with it. Their class numbers had dropped this year, so it could do some good to get more students… "When where you born Miss?"

"1990, after New year."

"Ah, yes, a freshmen then." He finally picked up a form himself, and handed it to Suzu this time.

There was no stopping her, he realised.

"Can't she go in the second year? She doesn't know anything in the first year." Suzu scowled at him, and the headmaster sweat dropped.

"It's ok. Haru and Momiji Sohma are in the lower year, right?" Yoko chuckled and beamed a smile. "I'm sure I'll be ok."

"…fine…" Suzu huffed moodily, and filled in her form.

When they were done, Suzu slid off the table, and hooked her friend's arms. "Alright, time to start school! Let's make an impact!"

"…you make an impact no matter _where_ you go…"

"…Yoko…I'm going to kick your ass if you don't shut up…"

"…heh heh…ugg ugg cave girl…" the girls walked out of his office, letting him fonally catch his breath. But their voices were still audible through the door.

"I'll throttle Binky when we get home if you don't back off, mule face."

"Leave her alone! I told you not to mention that…"

Takara just smiled as her friends bantered, walking through the halls, and watched as Suzu did her usual thing, and took charge.

Just like her brother did…

"Ok, this is your class, right?" She looked at the number on the door, and pushed it open.

The class was teacher-less, but full of loitering, chatting students. "Is there a Hatu and Moji Sohma in here?" Suzu glared into the crowd of students, and noticed two of them. One had the weirdest hair. It was white ontop, and back underneath. Although, she liked his fashion sense.

He'd adapted the school uniform to have it open at the top, more so than Kyo, as you could see the top of a firm pair of pecks…

There were also at least three different gothic chains around his neck, the normal trousers replaced with the leather pants, and buckled boots. His eyes were dark grey, soft, with a flicker of something _darker_ in them. He was looking at her sternly, as soon as she'd spoken the family name.

The other looked very young, and girlie. 'He' had golden blonde hair under the school sailor-looking hat, the blue girl's blouse and blue shorts. His eyes were a bright excitable honey brown, and he waved at them childishly.

It made the inner girl in her smile.

But the outer red blooded woman…

"Guten Morgen! I'm Momiji Sohma, and this is Hatushara Sohma! Are you looking for us?" He blinked his big eyes at them, and before she knew it, Yoko had zoomed past her, leaving a comical cloud of dust with her.

"AAA! Kawai!" Yoko skidded to a stop in front of them, and patted his head with a giggle. "So Loli-shota!" Suzu sweat dropped, as did Haru, and Takara smiled happily.

"Hallo! Ich heisse Momiji Sohma! Wie heisst do?" (I'm called Momiji Sohma! What are you called?)

Momiji giggled, jumping off the table, grabbing her hands through the huge olive sleeves covering them, and making her dance around in a circle with him.

"Erm?"

"Momiji, stop talking German. She can't under-"

"Ich heisse Yoko Nakamura. Wie sind do?" (I'm called Yoko Nakamura. How are you?)

"Wunderbar! Danke!" (wonderful, thanks!) Momiji giggled, and beamed up at Haru. "See? Just because _you_ are ein Dummkopf, doesn't mean Fräulein Nakamura is." Haru's left eye twitched, and he raised a fist at Momiji, going Dark Haru on him.

"Frow-what?"

"Fräulein Yoko. It means Miss Yoko."

"…¬.¬…she's a girl?" Yoko chuckled, and didn't take any offence. But Momiji waved his arms about and started whining in German at his cousin. At this point, Takara put her hand on Suzu's arm, and led the subdued vixen to their classroom.

For now, it seemed their friend would be ok in this class. She was making friends already.

"Stop talking at me in fucking bollocks, and speak Japanese!"

"WAAAAA! Tell him Yoko-chan! Dark Haru said a bad word and is being mean to me!" Momiji cried loudly, and Yoko patted his head.

"Dark?" Haru growled, and sat in his chair moodily.

"Hn."

"Well, don't bully Momiji-kun, Hatushara-kun." Yoko raised a fist at him and put her other hand protectively on Momiji's head. "Or I'll kick _your_ ass, like I did Kyo's." Haru flinched at that, his grey eyes wide at her.

"You did WHAT?!?! You beat Kyo?!"

"Yep, sure did." _Man, I've been hanging around with Suzu too much. I can even lie through my teeth now…_ "And if you don't leave him alone then-"

"You fight?"

"…yeah."

"Want to have a match some time? If you beat Kyo, I _really _want to 'have a go with you'." He smirked, and she missed his meaning completely.

"Sure." Yoko rolled her eyes, and sat in the chair in front of Haru, turning round the talk at him and Momiji. "Oh, and I'm a friend of Tohru-chan, Shigure-san, Yuki-kun and Kyo-kun. I'm living with them and my two friends, and one of their's brother." She laughed, almost confusing _herself. "_And I...erm… 'know'." She winked, just like Tohru did earlier, and it did the trick.

"Wirklich?" (really)

"Ja." (yep)

"STOP TALKING FUCKING GERMAN!" Haru blinked. "How do you know that stuff anyway?"

"I did German for a few years back at my old school." Yoko beamed, liking these two already. Why did Kyo find them so annoying? "How do you know German Momiji-kun?"

"Meine Mutter kommt aus Deutschland." Haru only understood that, because he_ knew_ Momiji's mom came from Germany.

"Oh, half German half Japanese?"

"Ja. Mein Vater is a Sohma." Momiji giggled. "What are your parents like Yoko?"

She flinched, and looked out the window.

"So, what is our teacher like?"

"A total ass." Haru sighed. "Hate him. I hope he gets run over by an ice cream truck." Yoko snickered into her hands. "What?"

"An _ice cream_ _truck_…?" She bit her lips, trying not to laugh.

"Yeah yeah, laugh it up smart ass." He growled, and looked out the window. Yoko giggled with Momiji, and bantered with Haru until their teacher arrived.

It was just like her old school. Except Suzu and Takara had been replaced with 'Dark' Haru and cute little Momiji. Little Momiji, as she called him, made her smile, and Haru made her laugh.

At one point, during maths, Haru made a small pea sized ball of paper, and flicked it off the end of the table, until it landed in their teacher's hair.

Mr Kwei, happened to look like a rake, with a fuzzy white afro. His glasses were like jam jar bottoms, as of which, she had never seen before today, and he wore a bright yellow pair of trousers and vest to work.

_Oh my dear god. I'm going to die of laughter!_

She had been caught snickering at least twice, on her first day!

_**When Takara and Suzu walked into their new class…**_

"Takara-chan! Suzu-chan! Come and meet my friends." Tohru waved them over happily, Yuki quiet, but not festering like before, and watched as Suzu sashayed into the room, and Takara walked calmly behind her.

Immediately, every male other than the sulking Kyo and Yuki, jumped out of their seats and ogled.

"What a hot chick!"

"Look at that ass!"

"Look, look she's looking this way!"

"She is _not_ just a second year. Not with _those_ tits!"

"Humina humina humina!"

"Who is she?"

"Is she an exchange student?"

"Can she stay here forever?" The last one of them said dreamily, and Suzu smirked, giggling perfectly.

She was used to this.

"Yo." She saluted them with two closed fingers, and winked at them. "I'm a new student here. My name's Suzu Fukazawa, and I'm _so_ nervous! I really want to settle in here, but I don't know anyone!" She lied, and sat herself ontop of a desk, holding her hands in mock worry to her ample chest.

And like she planned, they all jumped at her.

"I'll help you settle in!"

"I'm the hall monitor! I'll give you free passes!"

"I'll make you lunch everyday!"

"I'll kiss your feet!" She giggled with mirth, and folded one of her legs over the other hotly, and blew them all a kiss. They all saw stars, and comically fainted at her feet.

Suzu smirked, and looked over to Takara, who had been grabbed by Tohru at once, and was also looking at her with a cheeky smile.

It was obvious, that Suzu was well and truly enjoying herself.

Kyo growled for the hundredth time since he stormed in here. _Great. Now we'll have a Yuki fan club rivalled by a Suzu fan club, and Tohru is yakking off happily to the chatter box, yanky, and electric girl._

And He had no one. _But if Yoko was here…_

She had only been here a few days, but other than sleeping and bathroom time, he _actually_ hadn't been without her since they met. _If that stupid Haru and annoying Momiji don't take care of her…_ he scowled, and folded his arms.

It was then he noticed, that Yuki was sat alone too.

He briefly thought about talking to him, but thought better of it. _Who would want to talk to that damn rat anyway? Not me!_

"So what do you think of Takara-chan?" Tohru giggled, having just presented her new friends to her oldest ones. Uo-chan looked over her, scrutinising, before she spoke.

"She _seems_ ok. For a mute." She looked away, and felt a _little_ bitter. Tohru was getting more and more _other_ friends now… at least she still thought of them highly enough to bring them before her and Hana for their approval.

"I like her waves." Hanajime cupped Takara's face, startling her slightly, but she smiled timidly. "Yes, _very_ good waves. They are on the same frequency as yours, Tohru."

"Oh great!" Tohru giggled, and turned to look behind them all. "But where's-"

"Yo." Suzu appeared out of no where, leaning her elbow on Tohru's shoulder with a scarlet lipped smirk.

"_Your_ waves, I do _not_ like." Hana narrowed her eyes, and stepped back. Uo however, smirked back, impressed by this tough girl.

"I don't know Hana-chan…she reminds me of Kyoko-san. In her younger days." Suzu raised a brow.

"Erm…who are you…and…who?"

"These are my friends, Uo and Hana." Tohru beamed, and crossed her fingers, still hooking onto Takara's arm.

"Ah, alrighty. I'm Suzu Fukazawa." She held her hand out, and only Uo shook it.

"Strong grip you've got there."

"You too, Yanky."

"How did you-"

"I can tell." She chuckled, and was about to continue, when their teacher arrived.

Kyo still fumed to himself, Yuki just sulked gracefully, while Tohru sat Takara between her and Suzu (who had every other seat in her circumference filled with hormonal teenage boys gawking at her), and Uo and Hana sat in front and behind her.

History was a drag, as was sociology, but eventually dinnertime came.

Kyo was out the classroom like a shot, running down the corridors and to the freshmen's classroom. The doors were open, and he skidded to a stop in front of him. he bent over, panting, but lifted his orange head to scan inside with crimson eyes.

And there, he found her.

"Yoko!"

"Hi Kyo-kun." Yoko was in one piece, still grinning, and apparently…perfectly happy with Haru and Momiji.

"Guten m-abend Kyo-kun!" Momiji popped up out of no where in his face, and he recoiled back.

"Momiji!" Kyo growled, and gave him a firm double nuggy as punishment.

"WAAAAA! Mami Yoko! Kyo's picking on me!" (Mamimommy)

"Why the hell would she care if I-"

"Leave him alone Kyo-kun!" Yoko marched right up to him with a pout, and wagged her finger in his face. He stumbled back, as Momiji rubbed his eyes and grabbed a fist of her large olive green jumper. Just like a little kid and his mother.

"What?!"

"I've adopted Momiji, _apparently_, so I can't let you pick on him." She chuckled, and stuck her tongue out at him. Momiji did the same, and they both put their thumbs to their temples, and waved their hands at him childishly.

"-.-; oh dear lord…he's rubbing off on her…" Kyo sweat dropped, but amazingly, backed off.

Haru had reverted back to normal a while ago, letting Yoko see a whole new side to him, and smiled at the display. _So, not only did he come to meet her, but he does as she tells him to, too?_ He then smirked to himself. _She must have kicked his ass real bad…_

"I'm hungry!" Momiji giggled, and took Yoko's hand. "Let's get something to eat, Fräulein Yoko." He beamed, and Yoko smiled, about to say yes, when-

"NOT gonna happen, short stuff!" Kyo grabbed her other hand, and yanked her free of his annoying little cousin. "We've got to get her planner and uniform sorted before all that." He mumbled, hope his excuse stuck, and began dragging her away.

"See you next period Haru-kun! Momiji-kun!"

"auf Wiedersehen!"

"Tschüss!"

"Never mind that!" Kyo snapped at her, dragging her, towards the upper levels.

"I thought you said we were going to get my uniform and sh-"

"I lied." Yoko blinked, and remained silent until he released her.

They were by that time, of course, on the roof.

"Kyo-kun?"

"You hungry?" Kyo had his back to her, looking out onto the school grounds. He slipped his backpack off, and started rummaging around in it. "I made my lunch this morning, but so did Tohru. So I have twice the amount of lunch. You want one?"

"Erm…sure." Kano had slipped them some money he got from Shigure to buy something, but this was good too.

Little did she know, Kyo had intentionally made her lunch…

He even managed to wipe the blush off his face when she came to stand next to him. "Thanks."

"You said something funny back there. Tus?"

"Tschüss. I learnt some German back at my old school, so I could talk to Momiji a little in his language. Not very well, but enough."

"He _does_ speak Japanese. Fluently. You didn't have to." Kyo handed her a lunch box, and sat on the roof ledge with his own. Yoko sat next to him, facing each other now, and unwrapped her lunch box.

"But I wanted to. Momiji is half German, and it seemed like he was the only one there who could speak it. And I don't know what he likes to speak more, German, or Japanese. And I didn't want to make him feel uncomfortable talking to me if he thought he couldn't. So…"

"Soft git." Kyo shoved some rice in his mouth, eyes closed and looking out the school grounds. "The fact that you would _want_ to talk to such a twerp is charity enough." Yoko just laughed at him.

"Thanks, by the way. For the lunch."

"No problem. I was going to throw it away anyway, and it was a mistake to have two 'coz T-"

"Tohru didn't make the lunches today. Kano did." Yoko smirked to herself, _her_ eyes closed this time as she nibbled on a rice ball. "And I happened to be standing in the hall…when he passed it to you…and you _then_ started making a lunch box before our run…" She said no more, letting him blush madly through a furious pout, and they eat their lunch contently.

"Hn. So, did Momiji annoy you at all?"

"Nope."

"Not even a little bit?"

"Nope." She chuckled, and wrapped the box back up.

"And Haru? Was he, erm, an ass or a laid back ass?"

"I _may_ have discovered he has a slip personality, yeah. Dark Haru greeted me, Light Haru bid my goodbye just now." Yoko drank some of her juice carton, before adding- "I saw what Tohru was wearing this morning. The skirt, and the fitted blouse. Will I…"

"Yes." Kyo answered quickly.

It would be certainly interesting to see what she looked like in _normal_ girl's clothing. And if her face was anything to go by…and the times he _felt_ her as they hugged, right before he transformed…

His cheeks were blushing, and he occupied himself with his carton.

"…damn."

"You can have a long skirt, if you want. Don't feel pressured either way." Kyo packed their boxes back up.

"That's a relief…but the blouse…

"They don't do anything above the normal Large." Yoko gulped, and seemed…genuinely frightened.

"I, I." Yoko hid her face by turning her head away. "Suzu won't wear her uniform." She said quickly. "She'll wear what she wore today, every day."

"Nah, she won't."

"She will."

"Did you go to a uniform school before?"

"Well…it was _expected_, but not compulsory."

"Well, it is here." Kyo frowned. Why was she so on edge all of a sudden. And why were they talking about _Suzu_?

"A And I don't think they would mind if I just wore, maybe, a long skirt and a blue jumper, maybe."

"Why can't you wear a blouse?"

Yoko got to her feet, and forced a smile.

"I need to get that planner! giggle I'll see you later Kyo! And thanks for the lunch, they were yummy! You really roll those rice balls great."

"W wait!" But she was gone.

In a flurry of olive green and brown combats, a long ponytail of cinnamon whipping out behind her, she fled down the stairs and left him to frown after her. "…what did I say?"


End file.
